My Little Zombies: REKINDLED
by AedanRyche
Summary: Eric Johnson is one of the few remaining humans on mother Earth. Walking dead cover the now dead surface of the once green planet. In his search for a cure, he is sent to a new world, only to face another struggle for life. M: Lang/Gore/Drugs/alcohol/possible lemons. please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I read back over this story, and noticed it could be continued and written better. So here it is, Fillies and Gentlecolts! My Little Zombies: REKINDLED!

June, 2048. The corporations had succeeded in finally controlling the world population. The ruling elite had developed this… pathogen. It literally killed off anyone that didn't have a specific gene. They released it, effectively eliminating thirty eight percent of the world population. But the pathogen had an unaccounted for side effect.

Before the pathogen was release that August, the amount of people on Earth was nearing nine billion. Within months of the release, the world suffered a crippling blow. Yes, thirty eight percent of the human population died off. But so did most of the plants, animals and all around general planet.

By July of 2050, only three hundred fifty thousand humans remained. Most of them had a dog of cat with them. Or as they called it, emergency rations. The planet was essentially dead. Anywhere away from the oceans was badlands. Chalky, crumbling soil that was devoid of even bacterial life. And the sad thing was…

_ **I Survived.**_

My wife and children were taken by the sickness. Followed closely by my mother and father. Then, as I watched helplessly; my friends, co-workers… Hell, even the guy that made my coffee died.

I was alone. No one, no thing. Only the dust and the quiet. Normally claustrophobia inducing L.A was suddenly lonely. I fell into a deep depression. I contemplated suicidefor days on end. But I never went through with it. Then insanity set in.

One night, a sound ripped me from my sleep, about five months after the pathogen had been released. I sat in the bed, listening. When it happened again it sounded like something was rummaging through the cabinets downstairs. This had happened before, turning out to be stray dogs or cats. I grabbed the ball bat I had found, ready to chase it off. Heading down stairs I saw a shadow in the moon light through my window. It was shaped like a human. When I rounded the corner I came upon my wife and oldest son.

May 6th, 2051

Location: Abandoned military base in Oklahoma…

There was a man, his face covered from the dust and his head shielded from the sun by a shemagh. He carried a book in one hand, open and reading aloud. In a voice that would have made any southern Baptist jealous, he preached. "The Lord is my shepherd! I shall not be in want-ah! He makes me lie down in green pastures-ah. He Leads me-ah! Beside quiet waters-ah. He restores-ah! My immortal soul-ah! He guides me in paths-ah, of, righteousness-ah, for his name's sake-ah." Another figure approached, this one hunched and sickly. "For though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death! I shall fear no evil!" He drew a side arm and fired into the hunched figures head. Holstering the sidearm and uncovering his head, he bent over and examined the corpse. "For I am the badest mother fucker on the face of this planet." He flipped the rotted body over on its back and rummaged in its shirt for something. Withdrawing and removing a set of dog tags, he looked down at the mangled body. "Isn't that right, Derek?" He stood up and wrapped the tags around his wrist with the others, a seemingly solid band of stainless steel formed nearly to his elbow. Checking the dead soldiers body, he found a Colt 1911. 'Ooh, lucky me.' The man thought to himself. He snatched the soldiers magazines, emptied the chamber of the pistol. 'Forty-two extra rounds.' He chuckled to himself from the mental reference. "Hmm…" he said into the wind and dust of the incoming storm. "Maybe today isn't going to be so unlucky after all." He turned back towards the structures of the base, dark outlines in the whipping dust. 'What hopes do you hold…' He thought to himself.

Location: Sub-Basement 9.

The elevator descended further into the earth, the security panel hanging open by a solitary screw. "Thought they'd know better…" he mumbled to himself. Reaching in a pocket on his vest, he felt around a little, looking up at a security camera in the ceiling of the elevator. He pulled out a digital voice recorder, closing the pocket. Keying the record button, he began. " Eric Johnson. Year one, month five, day six. post rising. I've entered the military compound I scouted out yesterday. Seems that the Lazarus are only outside the structures. I'm currently heading to the lowest level of the facility, maybe there is a way to fix all of…" He waved his hand about, "…this, and return a sliver of live to this world." Eric keyed off the recorder and returned it to its pocket. "Gonna have to venture into town if there aren't any watch batteries here." He mumbled to himself, scratching his head and looking all together quite strange. He fidgeted slightly, shifting his weight left and right on his feet. "I hate town… so many Lazarus… wastes ammo, time… gotta save time. Its running out…" he kept mumbling to him self as the elevator dinged, signaling its descent from sub-level eight to sub-level nine.

Sighing, Eric pulled both of his pistols in succession checking the round count in each clip and cycling the chamber. Next he fit a magazine in his M4A1 assault rifle. "Ok, all set…" he muttered under his breath. He fit the butt stock in the crook of his shoulder, bringing the rifle forward so he could fire first if he needed to. When the elevator doors opened he brought his rifle up to the front. Preparing to fire on anything that seemed a threat. He keyed the rail mounted flashlight, scanning across the room. There were several computers, a couple of bookshelves and file cabinets, and a pane of glass against the far left wall. Carefully, slowly, he moved out of the elevator. "Here kitty, kitty. I got a treat for you…" he called softly in a singsong voice. "Come out, come out where ever you are."

Keeping a tight grip on his rifle, Eric reached out and opened the drawers to the file cabinets. 'Empty…' he thought, un-surprised. He turned to face the computers. Each one he passed, he pressed the power button. The last one began to boot. 'A Unix mainframe…' he noticed once it finished. He knelt down in front of it, typing rapidly, searching the database for anything useful towards a cure. He stopped searching on the first inked document he pulled up, a shadow of a thought influencing him. He typed in commands rapidly, trying to find user names and bypassing security protocols as they appeared. Quickly, he found the fruit in the preverbal tree of knowledge. Only one golden apple was left, and it was actively growing. "Where are you, you worm?" he asked no one. Upon accessing a supervisory file, he found the user was next to him. "Ah!" he exclaimed joyously. Running up to the Lexan window he shouted "Hey! You there! I'm human!" The disheveled scientist jumped out of his seat and fell on the floor, scrabbling back towards the other wall in fright. "Don't worry," stated Eric. "I'm alive. Hey! You should let me in!" he reassured and suggested almost simultaneously. "I can help!" the scientist shook his head desperately.

"Aww… Please?" Eric pleaded innocently. The scientist stood up, over his fit of surprise. He walked over to the window and keyed his Mic.

"Who are you?" the man in the lab coat demanded. Eric gave the man a puzzled look.

"Me? I'm the guy with all the notes from other facilities!" Eric smiled, holding up several key chains with around a hundred or more USB flash drives. Jangling them gently. "These are from Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, South California, North California…" he continued listing off state after state, never ceasing for breath. Eric continued to name flash drives, now detailing which facilities by city or military base.

'This guy's nuts…' the scientist thought. Once Eric finished, the scientist nodded. "Head into decontamination and I'll meet you at the door." He pointed to his right. Eric looked over in the direction that the scientist was pointing, nodding.

Eric and the scientist, now distinguished as Dr. Strauss Ph.D., were reviewing the documents. "It seems you've gathered a lot of useful data, Eric." Dr Strauss congratulated. Eric smiled and nodded.

"Thanks. So what about that cure I talked about? Will any of this help?" Eric asked, a hint of hope in his voice.

Strauss shook his head. "Yes, and no. You gathered quite a vast amount of useful data –data that is critical to my research, but not for a cure." Eric gave him a confused look. "Let me explain. The cure was abandoned when the world began dying. All hope of fixing that is lost. But what we did find is a unique anomaly here in this lab. With Quantum algorithms and high levels of gamma and ultraviolet radiation, we found that it appears to be a way to travel to a new and habitable world." Dr. Strauss reached under his desk and revealed a ball of glass with a slightly singed flower in the center. "the problem with using it is that it burns anything that is in the event. But with this," he motioned towards the research documents displayed on the screen. "I finally have a way of stabilizing the event."

Eric looked at the doctor like he was the mad one here. "But there is still a chance of fixing this world. Why not just neutralize the pathogen and terra-form the badlands back to the way it was?" to Eric, this seemed the easier and safer of the two ventures.

"Because of the remaining population," Strauss stated. "uninfected living human beings would be the workhorse of the terra-forming project and, well, there aren't enough of us left. For all we know, you and I may be the only two left on this continent." Strauss returned his view to the computer. "If I factor in these variables and this segment into the algorithms, I could send you through to the other world, gather the rest of the humans, and we could begin anew."

As Strauss did the math, Eric thought about what the doctor had said. Now that he stopped to think about it, sending the remaining populace through would be quicker and easier. And the population really was too low for any major terra-forming. 'So this is what we're forced to do,' Eric thought bitterly. 'Run away with our tails between our legs while out great mother planet dies alone and sick.' He didn't like the thought, but it really was the only way.

"Alright," Eric said. "Send me through." He walked over to the free chair, sitting down and wiping the sand off of his face. He stared at the doctor as he placed gizmos and machines around the lab area. 'Dumbass…'

Eric was standing in the red taped square that Dr. Strauss had designated. "Alright Eric!" Strauss shouted over the noises of the machinery. "When I say go, jump higher than one foot into the air! You will be caught in the event horizon! If you don't make the jump at precisely the right time," he shook his head slightly. "Let's not think about that, shall we?" Eric gave him a thumbs up, confirming he had understood.

As the devices surrounding Eric began to whine and spark, he watched Dr. Strauss, waiting for the signal. That's when things started to go wrong. Strands of energy and radiation began to arc all around the room. Strauss was panicking, and understandably so. But what caught Eric's eye was the Lazarus coming through decontamination. 'What the…' he thought. 'How did it get inside?'

'What's going on,' Strauss thought. 'This is wrong. I gotta stop the process. I'm getting to many gauss readings in this.' Strauss entered command after command but none seemed to be working. "Dammit," he screamed. "Eric! Get out of the area! Go!" he waved at him to signal him to run.

"Doctor! There's a Lazarus! Look out!" Eric fired at the zombie like being that had entered the room, running at Dr. Strauss. Even though he aimed for the kill, the bullets missed the target, landing in the creatures knee. 'What the…' He thought, but he found he had bigger problems now. The Lazarus was running towards him now, and his gun was malfunctioning.

Just then, a bright light filled the room, surrounding Eric and the living dead. Time seemed to stop, the light became darkness. Eric found himself stuck with his hand on his knife and an undead monster inches from killing and devouring him. _It seems I've found one worthy of the trials of a pure heart. But will you survive? _It was a feminine and soothing voice. 'That's it,' Eric thought in this suspension. 'I've gone totally bonkers.'

Time began again, the Lazarus continued its charge towards him. His previous action carried through, his knife pulling free of its scabbard and landing a solid chest blow. The creature made a strangled hissing noise, akin to a clogged drain with air forced through it. "Sick bastard." He commented. The creature charged at him again, slashing out with its nails. Eric sidestepped and lopped off its mangled hand with a single swipe of his kukri. The thing stopped and stared at the stump, obviously stunned. "And that's what you get for not being careful." Eric stated as he sank the full foot of cold carbon steel into and through the monsters neck. The body fell to the ground, lifeless once more and forever.

Night had fallen on whatever planet he was on, and the large crematory pyre burned a white flame ten feet high. He knew what this pathogen could do, and he wasn't going to let another world fall prey to it. He checked again for any spot he had missed. Finding he hadn't, he returned to his watch of the large fire. "Pretty sure no one wants a wild fire…" he muttered to himself. Sitting down on a fallen log. He sat there for about an hour, a feeling of being watched crawling over his back.

"I know your there." He called out into the darkness a few hours later. The fire had burned itself out and the moon had receded under the horizon. Daybreak was on its way. "You can come out, I won't hurt you. I promise." Something in the trees behind him moved, breaking a twig. Slowly a midnight-blue equine with a single black horn and wings appeared from the shadows.

"So you did survive," spoke the winged unicorn. "I see I made the right choice." Eric kept his eyes focused on the night sky, noticing all the constellations were in exactly the same places. "Do you like what you see Eric?" the horned pegasus, what Eric remembered from Mythology class in college as an Alicorn, asked. He closed his eyes, humming contentedly.

"I thought I would be depressed, not having finished my goal of saving my home world," He said. "But the madness, the blessed madness has passed. I'm myself again." He opened his eyes, looking directly at the Alicorn now. "And yes, it's magnificent." The Alicorn pawed at the ground with her hoof, blushing slightly. "A night like this inspired the greatest painter on Earth to make the most coveted and well known piece of art in history." He returned his gaze to the sky, lines tracing out the signs of the zodiac in his mind from all those years ago as a child. "Why did you save me?" he asked her.

The Alicorn looked at him, blissfully lost in memory and wonder. She had made the right choice for now, but she could not see where this path would lead. "Because you were pure of heart and strong of will. You saved a man you knew nothing about at the risk of your own life. You killed a beast that would have surely destroyed all of this splendor and grace. You made sure the affliction of your home did not become the affliction of mine. Is that not reason enough, brave warrior?"

Eric smiled and sighed. "Strauss would have done the same things had he been given the responsibility." He reached into his vest pocket, removing a photo of his family before the sickness. The life he had had that he could never regain. Softly, as if it was an ancient relic, he touched the image of his wife and son. This sent a pang of hurt through him. He wadded the photo, throwing it into the embers. The chemicals in the Polaroid photo causing the paper to bubble and smolder.

The Alicorn watched as he destroyed his only tie to his past, accepting his new predicament with full resolve. "Yes, but out of duty. And I doubt he would have risked his life to save you."

The sky had begun to brighten, illumination approaching from the rising sun. "Maybe." He said, though he agreed wholly in his mind. "Before you leave, may I have a name?" he asked.

The Alicorn stopped in her tracks, surprised he could notice the slight sound of her moving. She noticed this high sense of awareness through the ether. She had not gone astray, now she was certain. "Luna, Princess Luna of Equestria." And with that, she disappeared into the shadows.

"My lady." Eric said, dipping his head in reverence.

**I would like to say, I am sorry for abandoning this story prematurely. My reasons were my own, (the consecutive deaths of some close family friends chief among them) and stemmed mostly around a large amount of writers block. Yes, the horror Genre is easy for me to write because of my fascination with all types of anatomy. And yes it does get tedious. But fear not. I shall finish this story. So please Read and Review, I need the input to keep it going past the next few chapters.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own MLP: FIM. All right's reserved, Hasbro**

The sun had risen, waking Eric from his light sleep. Out of reflex over the years, his first action was to grab his sidearm. He lifted the weapon forward, scanning the fore with his ironsights. When it was clear, he rolled away from the tree was propped up on and checked the wood behind him. Nothing moved, save for a rabbit that had ran for cover. He lowered the weapon, exhaling his pent-up breath. He sat down on the dirt path he found himself on. Removing his shemagh from his neck and laying it out onto the dirt. Eric took off his backpack, unzipping the side pocked. He rummaged in it for a moment before finding what he wanted. It was a small, rectangular tin with a dulled and worn enamel label. "How I miss Altoids," he muttered, chuckling to himself.

He drew his .45s, disassembling them and laying the weapon parts on the cloth. Opening the tin, he withdrew a nozzle bottle of lubricating oil, two synthetic swaps, and a wire brush. He proceeded to clean all the dirt, goo, and residual cordite powder out of the barrels, springs, mechanisms and magazine housings. He lubricated the chamber, spring and barrel. After depositing the refilled tin in his pack, he assembled the firearms. He held down the receiver release, working the slide several time before loading.

Eric holstered the weapons, slipping his arms to the backpack and shouldering the load. He shrugged several times, the boxes of ammunition jingling as the pack settled properly. He clipped the latch on his pistols shut to keep them in place before picking up his shemagh. He wrapped the faded green and black cloth around his head and neck, lowering the hood and running a hand through his hair. The long dark blond hair fell down the back of his pack, laying between and around two sword guards that protruded from under the pack.

Eric looked around the area for the first time since his arrival. He was on a rather broad, dirt road that seemed to be lightly traveled. Hoof prints were expected, and present. "further proving my suspicion that the dominant species are Equines with human range cognitive thought," He said, falling back into his old science prattle. He followed the tracks, noting the majority of them led over the top of the hill he was on. "I guess either town or a settlement is that way," he said, standing.

He looked back at the pile of ash where he had cremated the Lazarus Risen. Several bones remained, all be it charred and cracked from the high heat of the bonfire. He pulled a large plastic bag out of a pouch on his vest, depositing all bone fragments he found in he ash pile into it. He pressed all the air out of the bag that he could, tightly closing the double zipper lock. He held it up in front of his face. There was half a sternum, several fragments of a pelvis, a full set of hand phalanges, and a large toe. "Unlikely to have survived the fire," he said, rolling it up and returning the bag to the pouch. "But, with the uneven heat distribution and lack of control once it was in…" he trailed off as he returned his attention to the road, walking with the tracks. "Could be worse. I could have a whole damn skeleton on my hands." He smirked, morbid humor abounding.

He traveled along the path, jogging to the rhythm of a rock song he remembered. The flora and fauna here was astoundingly similar the earth, but severely displaced. He observed a pair of North American deer grazing beneath an Australian Baobab tree alongside several some English hedge hogs that were digging for grubs. After about three minutes of jogging, he heard a conversation ahead. It was rather soft and the sentences were sparse. As he became closer he was able to distinguish voices and words.

"So what do y'all think that bright light was last night?" a female voice asked. The accent sounded to be northern Texan or Oklahoman.

"I'm not sure," the reply was very well pronounced, the lack of accent only betrayed by it being American English. "But whatever it was, the Princesses charged us to investigate it." Eric continued jogging along.

"What the hay is that?" the former asked as Eric crested another hill. He saw two ponies, one violet and the other orange. The orange one darted into the underbrush, followed by the other. He continued past their location, not really caring what they were after. He had come to terms with talking equines being the intelligent life.

"Twilight, I don't think we should follow 'em," the orange pony said, peeking through the leaves of a large fern she was hiding behind. "It look a might strange if ya ask me." The violet pony, Twilight, followed the creature as it passed by.

"I don't know Applejack," she said. "But I've never read about anything like it. What I do know is it looks like a fully upright, furless ape." He began to move around the bush she was behind. "Come on, AJ. Whatever it is, it's headed towards Ponyville." He dashed out from behind the bush, following the creature at a distance. Applejack joined her, staying behind her.

The creature was moving a trot, Twilight observed. It had a tan colored hide and a dark yellow mane that fell down a hump on its back. What she suspected as a green frill surrounded its neck, falling down its torso partially. It seemed to wear clothing, what she recognized as a black vest with sand colored sleeves adorned its upper body. It had leggings on its lower half that matched the sleeves, pockets adorning the sides. She spotted the shine of steel on its waist and legs. It was armed virtually to the teeth, the steel also present on its hump, upper arms, and she suspected its chest.

Eric was aware that the ponies were following him. he could feel their eyes boring into his back and hear their hoof beats as the followed. He spied the crest of a hill ahead. 'it's not nice to follow people,' he thought sarcastically. When he was a few yards from the rise, he broke into a full run. He crested the hill and ran down it a ways. He jumped to his left, falling behind a tree surrounded by ferns. He reached behind his head, grasping the haft of the sword and drawing it. The black anodized steel didn't reflect, so he held it out of sight as the ponies crested the hill, trying to spot him.

"Oh, horse apples!" Twilight said as the creature began to gallop away. She broke into a run, trying to keep pace while AJ yelled for her to be careful. She crested the hill, looking down the road for the creature. "Darn it, he got away," she fumed as she began to descend the hill. She looked left and right into the trees for the thing she was trailing. There was no sign of it. Twilight was fascinated by how easily it had escaped. "Shoot," she said, stomping her hoof in frustration. The AJ regrouped with her momentarily, aiding her in her search.

Eric tossed a stone, luring them closer. 'I want answers,' he decided in his mind. The ruse worked as the two ponies drew closer to the trees. The violet one walked in, passing by Eric's prone position. The orange pony decided to hang back. Eric drew a Kukri from his belt, holding it in his left hand. He burst from cover, knocking the pony over onto its side and lifting it into his arm. The orange pony charged as he rose the curved Kukri to the purple ones neck. Eric held up his sword, causing the orange pony to skid to a halt mere inched from the point. Eric clicked his tongue in a tut-tut fashion, letting the orange one know he wasn't going to have any of that bravado.

"Names," he said in the clearest accent possible. The pony was obviously surprised by his ability to speak. He nodded before saying, "Eric Johnson." He waved the sword tip up, tapping the orange pony on the chin. "And you name is?" he asked lowering the knife he held to the purple pony's throat slightly, still holding it in his elbow.

The orange pony swallowed hard, backing away a little. "Ahm Applejack," she said, her voice distinguishing her gender to Eric. "Ahm from Ponyville, Ah run th' farm there." Eric nodded, swinging the sword away from her in a wide motion and seating it back into its scabbard on his back.

"Good," he said, releasing the violet pony and helping it to its hooves. "Sorry for the hostilities." He apologized. "I'm not used to anything that follows me being friendly." He seated the Kukri into its scabbard, the wood clacking against another knife on his leg. "What's is your name," he asked, kneeling in front of the violet pony to look into its eyes.

The pony shook, obviously still afraid. Eric reached out and stroked her neck soothingly. "I really am sorry for that. I had to fight for my life for the last five years, so kindness is hard to surface before violence." He removed his hand from her neck, having calmed her. "May I know your name, ma'am?" he asked in a softer voice.

"I'm Twilight Sparkle," she said, backing away to join AJ. "Where in Equestria were you? I don't know of anywhere where any being has to fight so much." Eric looked at the ground, watching a vole scurry under the leaves. He shook his head, looking back up at them.

"I'm not from here." He confessed. "I come from another planet, a planet with a mass illness that caused all its inhabitants to become cannibalistic monsters." The shock on the ponies faces was evident. Eric removed his pack, opening the outside pouch and removing a quarter loaf of bread. He tore off a bit and handed it to applejack. She shook her head. Eric offered it to Twilight, who also refused. He shrugged and bit into the bread. It was still fresh to his surprise.

'a saddle bag, not a hump.' Twilight corrected her observations mentally. Eric returned the pack to his back and lifted his mane out from under it with his…hands? He took the lump of food from between his teeth and held it as he chewed.

"So," he began. The ponies still couldn't believer his voice was as deep as it was. It vibrated in their chests and caused a chill to creep up their spines. It didn't seem natural. "I was told I am in Equestria by a princess named Luna and, now, by you two." The ponies cocked an eyebrow at the mention of their night princess.

"You met Luna?" Twilight asked, looking over at Applejack. "Why would the princess be out here in Whitetail wood?" Eric shrugged as he took another bite of his bread.

"Dunno," he said. "But she nearly greeted me upon my arrival here. We sat and watched the stars rotate until sunrise. Then she just left." He stood up, once again surprising the ponies. They backed away as he rose to a full six and a half feet. Eric opened his left thigh pocked, pulling out a canteen. He opened it, pouring some of the water into a cup he removed from the base. "Water?" he asked, offering them the cup. This time Applejack took the offered refreshment. Drinking some and handing it to Twilight. Eric lifted the opening to his lips, drinking the remainder of the bottle. Twilight passed the cup back to Eric, who seated the canteen into it as he capped it.

"Well, I would love to continue our little chat," he said walking out of the trees and into the road. "But now is not the time, nor the place to talk about matters of importance. Thus, I bid you both adieu." He bowed slightly, continuing his jog towards the now visible town.

"Wait!" Twilight called out, running after and ahead of Eric. She stopped in front of him, forcing him to stop. "The ponies of Ponyville aren't used to getting…" she searched for the right word. "Guests like you." Eric placed a hand on his head, scratching it slightly. He couldn't argue, if a talking pony had walked into Los Angeles, or just a plain Unicorn, the public would have gone ape shit. He nodded slowly, tugging on the inch long beard he had failed to notice he had.

"Okay, your right." He surrendered. "Do you have any where I could stay at that I wouldn't be screamed at and feared?" he asked, smirking in amusement. Twilight nodded, still slightly wary of Eric after the hostage incident. She led him down the road, musing how Fluttershy would handle the surprise visit.

"Well that went as expected," twilight fumed. Upon seeing her friends, Fluttershy was delighted. But then her view fell on the tall, deep voiced creature behind them. The squeaked in her usual fashion, followed by a door slam. "Fluttershy, come out please!" she called through the door.

Eric felt something beating on his steel toes boot. He looked down, lifting his foot up and away from the white rabbit that was scuffing the rough leather with its claws. "Hey there, little buddy." He said cheerily, bending over and picking up the rabbit. "What's your name?" he asked as he rubbed under the bunny's chin with a finger. The rabbit seemed to be content to just sit there and be petted.

Fluttershy opened the door a crack, peeking through at Eric. He held her bunny, angel up next to his face, smiling and scratching under her chin. Fluttershy opened the door the rest of the way, backing into the room so they could enter the house. "C-come in," she said, almost too quiet to be heard. Eric followed Twilight inside, handing the rabbit to the yellow pegasus.

"Is this your bunny?" he asked, smiling and scratching the rabbit behind the ears. Fluttershy took Angel from his hands, nuzzling the white rabbit. Eric continued in, sitting down on the couch opposite Twilight. Applejack came in behind Eric, choosing to sit in a chair as far away from him as possible. She still didn't trust him after he held her as sword point.

"Fluttershy," Twilight began as her pink maned friend sat in a chair with her bunny. "I need a favor from you." Fluttershy nodded, letting Angel down. The rabbit scurried away. "I need you to let Eric here stay with you tonight. I have to notify the princesses of his arrival here. And I have to tell the mayor that he is going to be staying in Ponyville until I can take him to Canterlot. Is that ok?"

Fluttershy looked over at the creature on her couch. She didn't trust him, but Twilight did. She trusted Twilight and she would let him stay if she needed her to. He looked rather scary to her. He had a dark yellow patch of fur around his chin and cheeks, the green and black frill was also frightening. It made him look like something from the Everfree Forest. "O-okay, Twilight," she mumbled. "If you think its ok, then I will." She hid behind her mane as he smiled at her. It was scary, especially with the four sharp teeth. She whimpered slightly.

"Great!" twilight exclaimed, standing and going to the door. "I'll start on that right away. He should be out of your hair by tomorrow morning." And with that, Twilight left. Applejack stared at Eric, watching his every move incase he should try to hurt her friend. Keith looked around the room slowly, lingering on a woven tapestry over Fluttershy's mantle. It had a Celtic knotting pattern, and the design was woven in with silver yarn.

"That's a beautiful tapestry, Fluttershy." He complimented, pointing to the item in question. "Did you make that?" he asked, getting only a nod in return. The time ticked by slowly, the only sounds were those of angel scratching at something and a clock ticking on the wall. Eric brushed his jaw with the palm of his hand, wishing he had a shaving kit. 'Wait a minute, I do.' He thought. He made his excuses and walked out of the house. He looked around the area, spying a well pump to his right.

"Ah ha!" he exclaimed, withdrawing his canteen from his pocket. Eric worked the pump, filling the canteen and its cup with water. He looked around again after returning the full canteen to his pocket. He spotted a small glade with a presumably dead tree. Eric walked over to the tree, unwrapping the shemagh from his neck. He took off his pack, setting it on the ground. He placed the cup of water on a flat rock near the tree before unzipping the pack and fishing inside of it. He withdrew a straight razor with a rubber band around the handle to hold the blade closed. He took out a bar of soap and a small mirror.

Eric set the mirror and the razor on a wide branch of the dead tree before taking off his vest and shirt. His physique wasn't model perfect, but five years of swinging swords and running for his life on minimal food kept him in peak, if slightly emaciated, condition. His abdomen was chiseled and taught, his chest likewise from the swordplay he used to survive. His arms were solid, about fourteen or fifteen inches around, due to the moving of crates and fallen bodies. His shoulders looked to be made of bunched steel chord, rippling and knotting as he moved around. His back was defined and strong as well. All around he looked to be a featherweight boxer, despite all of the scars from being scratched and bitten by the Lazarus Virus victims.

He created a thick lather with the soap, smearing it across his face. After the beard was coated, he lifted the razor and removed the rubber band, the razor glided out of the handle smoothly, folding back to create a narrow 'V' shape. He held the blade at an angle against his cheek, pulling the edge down across the beard. The hair fell away without complaint under his practiced hand. He heard the four beat cadence of a pony approaching in the grass behind him. "Hello?" he asked, making another swipe and finishing one side of his face.

Fluttershy looked at Eric's back, noticing several designs that resembled cutie marks. On his arms and back were also several pink scars, some of them looked like teeth marks. "H-hi," she mumbled stopping a few feet away. "Um… w-what are you, I mean if you don't mind me asking, what are you…" she trailed off, not finishing. Erick chuckled at her demure personality. His son had been the same way.

"I, my dear, am shaving this dreadful beard." He answered, turning around and pulling the razor down the other cheek. Fluttershy watched as the white hair was cut from his face. He turned around, dunking the blade in the cup and returning it without the foam it had before. He continued his shaving until he had cleared his neck and cheeks, leaving a line across his jaw and a trimmed down goatee. He put the razor aside, pulling out his canteen and splashing his face. The soap ran don his neck before he wiped it away with his shirt.

Fluttershy was sitting in the grass, looking at his newly trimmed face while he returned the razor to his bag. He looked up at her every now and then as he searched his bag for something else. Now that she could see the rest of his face, he didn't seem quite as frightening. "What's on your mind my shy friend?" he asked, smiling at her after closing up his bag. He now held a pair of scissors in his right hand and the mirror in his left, further trimming his beard.

Her eyes fell on his shoulder, the mark consisting of two swords crossed between two rose vines that encircled them. "W-what is that mark on your shoulder?" She asked quietly. "Is it a Cutie mark like mine?" she asked, exposing her flank to the light. It had three pink and blue butterflies on it. Eric shook his head.

"Only if your mark was put there by someone else." He held the mirror at arms length, satisfied with the quarter inch mustache and beard combo. He lowered the mirror, opening his pack slightly and dropping the mirror and scissors in. He rested his elbow on his knee, pointing to the tattoo on his right shoulder. "This is a Tattoo. It is painted permanently to your skin by small, ink filled needles that pierce the top layers of your skin. It never goes away, although it might fade a little."

Fluttershy cringed at the thought, having needles paint something on you was frightening. "Oh no, a cutie mark appears when a pony finds out his or her special talent. Mine is my ability to care to small animals." She held out a hoof, letting a Blue Jay land on it before flying away.

Eric watched the bird fly off. "Well, I guess Tattoos are kind of similar. Most people don't get them for any purpose other than the fact that a design looks good." he explained. "But I got mine to advertise my achievements." He pointed to the swords again. "This one is to show my proficiency with dual swords. He pointed to the two swords attached to his backpack. He turned around and pointed to his right shoulder. it was a design of a knife with a red crosshairs behind it. "This means that I can hit anything I am at with a throwing knife. He pulled a slender, silver knife with a ring on the end from a group on his thigh. He slung the knife behind him nailing a bulls eye on the tree.

He walked back to the dead tree taking the knife. "The one on my left shoulder I got to mark my degree in advanced chemistry." The design was a beaker filled with a bubbling liquid. "And this one," he pointed to the dove on his right chest muscle. "Is a marker I did myself. I considered myself to be the last hope for my world. And on Earth, the dove is a symbol of hope." He grabbed a lock of hair, slicing it off with his knife. Fluttershy's eyes widened.

"Why are you cutting off you beautiful mane?" she demanded, running up and prizing the knife from Eric's hand. He let her have it, holding the hair up for her to see.

"I'm a human, so I don't have a mane. I have hair. And for humans, long hair is difficult to keep clean. So I prefer to keep it short." He dropped the lock of hair, taking the knife back from her. "It all has to do with opinion though. Some humans like their hair long, mostly the girls though." He continued to cut the hair from his head, soon having a ragged, short, blond mop about three inches long. He pulled the mirror and scissors out of his bag again. "Some of the males have long hair, but they very seldom leave it to hang down. Most braid it or twist it into dreadlocks." He continued talking to Fluttershy about human hair fashions as he trimmed his.

He soon had a very neat and squared away feather cut. He bent over and poured water from his canteen over it. He grabbed his shemagh and soaked up most of the water that was still in it before running a pocket comb through it backwards. It stood up like a movie soldier's haircut. He looked into the mirror again, satisfied with the way the beard complemented his look. "How do I look?" he asked, smiling at her.

Fluttershy had to admit, the shorter hair and trimmed beard made him seem much friendlier. It took the hard, scary look out of his grin and made him seem to glow with happiness. She nodded, smiling back for the first time since he had arrived "Hey! A smile. See? I told you I would look better." He grinned and patted her gently on the shoulder. "Come on, it's getting dark." He said as he put on his shirt and vest again. He shouldered his pack and collected the remaining possessions that were scattered around the tree.

They walked back into the house as Applejack walked out. "Sorry y'all," she apologized. "I best be headin' back to th' farm. Big Macintosh is probably getting' a might worried." Fluttershy nodded, walking inside. Eric waved but was cut off by AJ. "You, Eric. Come 'ere. I wanna talk to ya." He followed her around the cottage. When he turned the corner, Applejack knocked him against the wall, pinning him to it with her fore-hooves.

"What in the world are you doing?" he yelled before she placed a hoof on his mouth. She stared him down like a killer, intent on being heard out.

"Listen 'ere bub," she said in a hushed tone. "Ah don't trust y'all, ya hear? Ah don't know where y'all 're from, Ah don't really care much neither. All Ah know, is that y'all held me at the point of a sword. Twi may play dumb to you holdin' that there knife to her throat, but you here me now." She paused for effect, planting both hooves on his shoulders and bearing down with a mild margin of her strength. Eric winced in pain, eliciting a smirk from AJ. "If'n you _ever_ do that to any pony again, Ah'll kick you so hard, havin' a hard time eatin' will be the least of y'alls problems." She pressed hard on his shoulders again before backing off.

Eric grabbed her by the hoof, twisting it in ways it was never meant to move and forcing her face down on the ground. He drew a pistol, pulling back the hammer and holding it to her head. "Alright then. now you listen, Apple-_crack_." He growled into her ear, barely loud enough to hear. "I have seen things that would cause your tough act to shatter. I have killed undead humans, cows, dogs, bears and ponies. I've even killed a few living humans that tried to steel what was mine." He pushed the gun against her skull harder. "I will _not!_" he snarled, twisting her leg further as she kicked out. "I repeat, not warn you again. If you endanger my life of cause harm to me that is beyond my ability to fix alone, which is a lot by the way, I will not hesitate to kill you. This little thing here," he said, holding it up to her face. It smelled like burning sulfur to Applejack. "It does more than look pretty. It can kill you from fifty feet away, easily. So don't fuck with me, and we can be good friends. I'm sorry I had to do this, but I don't take any crap from a pony with an attitude."

He let go of her leg, helping her up. "Now I am a great guy when you get to know me. If you're nice to me, then I'm nice to you. And if we can get along, I will even protect you with my life. So please," he said, stopping to wipe a tear away from her face. "believe me when I say I am sorry for what I did in the forest. Honesty and sincerity are virtues I hold dear. So you can trust what I say. But my word and a buck fifty will get you a cup of coffee." He chuckled slightly as she gave him a confused glance. "It's… an expression where I'm from." He punched her on the shoulder lightly.

She hated to admit it, but he was right. She had acted brash and roguish just now. She did deserve his retaliation in full. "Ahm sorry, I guess I was being protective of mah friends. No hard feelings, righ'?" she asked, mimicking his motion with a forehoof. Eric nodded, holstering his pistol.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too. And don't worry," he said turning around. "Fluttershy's safe with me." He walked around the corner, out of sight of Applejack. She lowered her head, pawing at the ground with a foreleg. She sulked for a moment more before heading down the road to home.

Eric entered the cottage, noticing Fluttershy's bustling activity to make the couch comfortable for sleeping. "What are you doing?" he asked in a deadpan. She looked up after laying a blanket on the table beside the sofa.

"Oh, um, I w-was just going to sleep here tonight. Y-you can have the bed." she added with a shy smile. Eric shook his head, refusing her offer.

"No, I am not going let you sleep on the couch." He walked over and laid out on the couch. "Besides, I like these things. They're comfy." He smiled, ignoring her various protests and 'oh it's ok, I don't mind's.

Later that night, Eric laid on the couch staring at the ceiling. He had tried and tried to fall asleep, but each time he would doze off a noise would wake him up. Every time he thought he heard the strangled hiss of a Lazarus Risen, and every time it seemed to be coming from nowhere but his mind. He knew the hissed in two parts, inhale and exhale. He would hear the inhale and wake up, then he would wait. Every time the exhale would fail to come forth. 'You're just jittery from having to survive five years of it,' he thought, closing his eyes and drifting again.

It happened again. He opened his eyes and waited. This time there was the second gurgling hiss of the exhale. It came from outside. The hiss sounded again, followed by a thump. He rolled off the couch, quickly strapping his belt with the Kukri knives on and slipping the swords onto his back. He rose to a military crouch, stalking his way to the door. Again there was the two part hiss. He drew one sword looking through the peephole in the door. All clear out front. He opened the door, silently sliding out and closing the door behind him. The hiss came from out back. 'What are these monsters doing here.' He thought as he stalked around the west facing wall. The hiss came again, followed be the same thump. But it was different, there was a squelching sound with it.

He turned the corner, lashing out and stopping just before striking a chestnut pony. Under its hooves were the mangled remains of a dog that had the bulbous, mutilated skin of a Lazarus Risen. "Friendly!" the pony hissed, stomping the Lazarus dog again. The pony didn't seem stunned to see him, and this intrigued him more than the fact that it was stomping a Lazarus dog's head.

"Who are you?" He asked, keeping the blade beside the pony's neck. The chestnut pony had a black braided mane and tail. A cutie mark of an upright pentacle with yellow circled around it adorned his flank.

"Keith, 2nd Force-Recon division, Iraq war veteran," he introduced, stepping back and off of the undead beast. "Cut off the dog's head and follow me. The princess's want to see you at the library with Twilight. Don't worry about Fluttershy, Twilight already left a note on her nightstand. Go get your things and hurry." The pony, Keith as it were, ran off around some bushes and waited. Eric walked back into the house, wrapping his face and neck in the shemagh and shouldering his pack. He slipped the two .45s into their holsters and rejoined Keith.

The pony looked back at him, pulling a walkie-talkie up from a necklace. "I have the package, Oscar Mike to your six." He started off at a fast trot. "Come on, we gotta get there before the moon goes down." They ran through the open field that separated Fluttershy's cottage from town. Neither talked, keeping their ears open for any sounds of the Lazarus. Eric held both of his Kukri blades as he ran, catching glimpses of movement in the corners of his eyes. The two part his echoed every now and then from the distance. They closed in on the town's residential section, slowing to a slow jog. Every now and then Keith would signal Eric to hide. He understood the need to remain hidden from the other ponies.

They wove through the alleyways and streets quickly, coming to the large, converted tree that served as Twilight and Keith's house and the town library. Keith opened the cellar door, ushering Eric inside. "Hurry, the Princesses are waiting for you. Eric ran down the stairs two at a time, standing in the dark landing as Keith closed the door. He lifted the walkie-talkie again as he walked up to Eric. "Package secure, do you want me to bring him up?" the reply echoed through the room and the device. "Affirmative, the welcome mat is out, Red." Eric followed Keith up the stairs and into the main room of the library.

**Yeah, yeah, "Cliffhanger OMG!" oh well. so what is going on? Why is the Lazarus in Equestria? What the buck is Keith doing in this story? Why am I asking you people? I already know! Hahahahahaa!**

**R&R please :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**OK, first I would like to give a big shout out to Bahamut Crisis Core for lending me his OC. Thanks a million buddy :)**

**DISCLAIMER! you know the routine by now.**

Eric followed Keith up the stairs to the main room of the library. Keith stopped in front of the door, turning to face Eric. "This is an informal meeting with the princesses," he stated. "So etiquette is expected to be sparse and language does flow. They are not happy about something and Celestia is a little more than pissed." A stomp that shook the door echoed through the building. "See what I mean?" Keith asked, grimacing slightly.

Eric seated the blades he held into their scabbards, lowering the shemagh from his head and face. "On your mark, trooper." Eric said, drawing himself upright and preparing to be screamed at by royalty. Keith seemed to glow at being called trooper for the first time in years. He moved forward, pushing open the door.

"I ask you again, sister," the female voice boomed through room, obviously tweaked over her sister. "What in the name of all things harmonious possessed you to bring that monster with him?" she wasn't yelling, so much as projecting with great effect. Eric walked in, observing the white and black Alicorns standing before each other ready to come to blows. "Because of your foolish choice, the monsters that were a nuisance before now have the confidence to assault the royal guard!" she yelled the last word, head butting the Alicorn Eric knew as Luna and locking her head in place with the long white horn she wielded.

Eric cleared his throat as loud as possible, drawing the attention of the two royal sisters as Keith walked around the room to join Twilight on a couch. "I, uh," he began, feeling the full bear of the white Alicorns displaced anger fall upon him. "I was summoned, your highnesses." He finished, bowing slightly before the royalty. The two Alicorns turned to face him, Luna's expression apologizing for something. Eric soon found out as the larger, presumably elder sister walked toward him.

"Eric Johnson," she said nodding. Her demeanor had changed completely between her argument and Eric's arrival. "I am Princess Celestia, Ruler of the day and high monarch of Equestria." She paused as Eric knelt. "Rise, Eric, there is no need for formalities now." She cast a searing glare to her sister. Eric did as he was commanded. "My sister, Luna has intervened in your untimely demise for a greater purpose." Luna stepped forward, taking over the conversation as Celestia walked off to fume.

"I sensed another world with our plight, and I investigated through the Ether." She explained, motioning for him to sit beside her as they talked. "You were the best choice on the planet to save ours, so when I noticed you were about to be destroyed by a failed experiment I stepped in." she looked at him. "You proved your proficiency in defeating these creatures ilk on your world, further proving yourself since your arrival. You have been cautious and vigilant at every turn of this journey. We are plagued by a blight, similar to the virus that destroyed your home world. The creatures die in the same manner, damage to the brain or central nervous system, but if you do not separate the head from the body, the creature will heal and attack again." She finished, letting Eric process the information.

'Out of the frying pan and right into the fire,' Eric thought. She had told him she saved his life to have him risk it for a world that was not his own. Eric scoffed in bewilderment. It was just too absurd for her to ask this of him again. He had been prepared to leave the horrors of his old life behind for a new one. But that was not to be. "Is the virus communicable through fluid transfer or is it just like Lazarus?" he asked, needing more to go on if it was his new future. Luna shook her head.

"It is like your Lazarus Virus in the fact that the host must be dead a total of three days before they rise." She explained. "But unlike the Lazarus, it does not happen in desert terrain. There must be vegetation for this virus to take effect. And there is no limit on how long a being can be dead before resurrection. As long as the brain and spinal chord are intact, the body can rise." She stood as Celestia returned. "I must go, Eric. Stay safe." And with that she dissipated into a cloud of shadow.

"And what do you want, your pain-in-my-ass-ness." Eric sniped, suddenly loathing the sight of any pony. Celestia scoffed, obviously still angry with Luna. Eric looked away at a wall, gripping the haft of his knife mercilessly. He wanted nothing more than to kill her right there, but he knew he would never get away from Twilight and Keith. "Why do you ask me to endure the horrors of my past, yet again?" Celestia's aggression and frustration vanished at the moment he asked this question. She seemed to show genuine remorse, something seldom witnessed from the Sun Princess.

"I am sorry, Eric." She said. "Keith is not from the same time that you are. He was brought here by a goddess beyond control at the request of Azrael, the reaper." She touched his face with her nose, nuzzling gently to reassure him. "He has not the knowledge of this foe that you do, nor he proficiency with the weapons necessary to defeat them. I ask you this not out of obligation, but a cry for help. Will you save Equestria from this imminent doom Eric Johnson, slayer of that which should not be?" she stood tall, but her ethereal mane had lost its radiance and refused to flow. Her eyes glistened with despair and hopelessness. He was sure she would either cry or kill him if he refused.

"I don't have much of a choice, do I princess?" he asked in a dry tone. "Not that you have pushed this on me, I accept this offer fully. It is just that I have not a home to return to. My land is lost to the plague. My kind has set their knife to the throat of their mother and she is dying slowly. All things stagnant fade away, so why would I go back if I could?" Celestia was thoroughly shocked at his resolve. Most ponies given the same circumstances would shy away. But this male, this human, faced his fate full forward. "King Leonidas said, 'Give them nothing, but take from them everything. For they shall not show mercy, and neither shall we.' Those were his last words before staving off ten thousand Persian warriors with three hundred men." Eric stood before the princess, drawing his sword and kneeling. "I am by you side." He held the blade out to her by the flat.

"Rise, Eric Johnson. Rise and take your place amongst the knights of old." She said, tapping her horn to his shoulders. Eric stood, sheathing his sword. Keith walked up to the pair, a frown on his face.

"I just heard from the advance team," he said, sorrow heavy on his voice. "all but one have fallen to the monsters and they are headed this way, a thousand or more on their hooves." Eric scoffed and grinned at Eric with a blood lust in his eyes that could shame a manticore.

"Is that all?" he asked, walking out into the street. A siren blared from the center of town, signaling the evacuation to begin. "Keith!" he called back over his shoulder. The chestnut human pony ran up to him, raising an eye brow. "Tell your men to lure them into the commercial sector of town and then to get out fast. Things are about to get fun." Eric loosed a wild grin that would make Charles Manson jealous before running off toward the close set warehouses.

The sun was on its way as the dark night gave way to a pale blue sky. There were dark thunderheads on their way from the south, delivered on his request. The fact that the Pegasus ponies commanded the weather all over the land never ceased to amaze him. Eric raised his radio, activating the microphone. "This is Sword one to Wing four, what's the ETA on those clouds?" he lowered the radio, awaiting the response. A moment later, a cyan pegasus with a rainbow colored mane and tail landed next to him.

"They should be here five minutes after the enemy for the rain," Dash said as she attached the weapons the town smith crafted for her to her hooves and wings. "Those buckers are gonna have one heck of a fight on their hooves." She said, donning the helmet her father had passed down to her. Eric liked her enthusiasm, though it may be a liability if they were overrun.

Eric lifted the radio again. "Advance team, how far out are you from Ponyville?" he set the device on the ground, reaching behind him for the crossbow on his back. He attached the arms to the stock before stringing it with a nylon chord.

"We're here sword, heading to the commercial sector now." The line went silent as the clouds rolled overhead. "The enemy is spreading through the area, we're Oscar Mike to the extraction." Eric picked up the radio ad he set an explosive bolt in the crossbow. "It's your party Sword, out." Eric looked out into the industrial park square as four undead ponies entered.

"And now for the fun," he said, shouldering the 200 pound bow. "I want you overhead until the rain comes, Dash." He notified, bringing the scope to his eye. "I need eyes in the sky to tell me where they are." Dash saluted, taking wing and flying away to observe high above. Eric had a solid bead on a head shot of the center pony. "Come to daddy," he said, pulling the trigger. The bolt launched wit ha thump, flying with a barely audible whistle. The pony in his scope reeled back and thrashed about on the ground, dying with a gurgled hiss and its teeth gnashing before the bolt went off.

The C-4 charge surrounding the broad head arrow released a magnificent fireball. "Beautiful," Eric muttered as the body parts and black blood was cast about the area. All four ponies were lying in pieces around the square. His radio hissed, signaling someone calling him.

"Nice shot, Sword," it was Dash. "The others are headed your way fast. You might get one more shot off there before they storm you." Eric raised a fist into the air, setting the crossbow down and raising the other one. He loosed a roar loud enough to be heard around the town as he drew his swords. The thin, flaring blades made the perfect tool to lop heads with. the undead flowed into the area like a flood of meat, ripe and ready for the grinder above them. He snarled, jeering at them, taunting them to try and take him. none moved though, choosing to screech and hiss from the ground.

"What's the matter!" he screamed. "No one wants a hot meal?" he scanned the area, hearing a snarl from behind him. Eric thrust his sword behind him, lifting the blade up and twisting the body attached to it before bringing it down onto the wooden roof. Eric lopped its head off with his other sword, blood spraying over his chest and face. He turned back around, holding the undead ponies head by the mane. "Who's next?" he yelled, throwing it into the mass. Eric sunk his swords into the planks at his feet, stripping out of his vest, shirt, and head wrap.

The standoff continued in this manner, one of the undead climbing up and Eric lopping its head off cleanly in one stroke. He tossed each of the fallen enemies over the edge, taunting them further with its head. Four minutes in, the rain started. Slowly, several large drops landed on Eric's exposed face and chest. The radio on his belt hissed. "Eric, your package is on the way," the raspy voice of Rainbow Dash broadcast over the air. "I don't know what you wanted it for, but you got it. I'm making my first pass now." Eric looked up as Dash swooped down, entering the fray of zombies. She emerged with black blood dripping from her wings and hooves, a trench of fallen, beheaded bodies behind her.

Eric looked down into the horde, the rain now blanketing the sky with a torrent. He stood there, letting the rain soak into his skin. "Time to play," he snarled through closed teeth. Wit ha yell he ran to the edge of the roof, leaping off and twisting his feet. As he left the roof, he repositioned his swords for a downward slash, the revealed spikes in the toes of his boots being lined up for a few good kicks on the way in. He swung wide, decapitating two more undead. Landing on his knees, Eric rolled. He landed three solid stabs with his boot knives before standing and twisting the mechanism to retract them so he could run. He slashed down, swinging up with the other blade, spinning to land two more blows, twisting and ducking to dismember four bore undead. He continued to hack, chop, and slash as he worked his way through the wave of reanimated bodies.

When he stopped and the haze of battle left his vision, he had cut down close to sixty zombies, their corpses lying behind him. He stood as dash made her second pass, creating another trench behind her. Eric spied a steel tower to his left. He climbed it, reaching the top as the zombies figured out what was happening. They turned and rushed the tower, Eric now aiming his blades. He threw them into the fray, impaling a walker with each one. He drew his right .45 as the radio buzzed to life.

"Sword, this is Bolt leader," he looked up to see a wing of Pegasi flying above, the glint of steel on their wings. "We're gonna take some of your load off if you don't mind." The flying ponies descended as Eric was bitten on the ankle, his boot stopping the teeth from making a wound. He aimed with the .45, firing into the monster's head. The creature fell, a massive hole blown into its skull. He continued firing until he needed a reload.

He lifted his radio as a twenty foot wide area of undead was cut open by the battle equipped Wonderbolt squadron. "Dash!" he yelled. "I need that cross bow loaded with another boom stick! Can you get it too me afterward?" he waited for a reply. The cyan Pegasus didn't answer, instead heading straight for the weapon. She was pulling back the string when Eric saw it. Another undead had climbed the warehouse. Eric took aim and compensated for wind and gravity. He fired twice, one high and one low. The rounds struck dead in the head and chest of the zombie. Dash finished loading before grabbing an arrow in her teeth and flying the weapon over to Eric. She handed him the crossbow, loading the arrow into the lock.

"I'll go get the rest," she said, hugging him quickly. "Thanks for the save, I wasn't ready to die." She bolted back to the bag on the roof as Eric took aim at the encroaching horde. The Wonderbolts were back up, re assessing their various injuries from their run when Eric blind fired into the group clambering up towards him. the arrow stuck in a middle area.

"Oh FUCK!" he screamed before the bolt blew. The tower gave out a pained groan before swaying back and forth. "the tower tipped finally, falling towards the ground backwards. Something grabbed Eric from the shoulders, lifting him into the air and setting him on a roof before the tower finally landed in the mass of undead. Eric pulled four throwing blades, tossing them into the crowd before looking back at his rescuer. It was dash again, only this time a bone protruded from a bent wing. Fresh blood flowed from the wound. "Dash!" he yelled shocked by her injury.

"I'm fine!" she shot back, flapping the good wing in an attempt to take off again. She panted after a moment, giving up and using her radio. "Bolt Leader, I need a pick up. I've been…" she hesitated, not wanting to admit it. "Clipped. Can you spare a lift?" without hesitation, a pony with a fiery mane and tail swooped down and stood beside Dash. "Sorry Eric," she said as they two took off. He watched the two fly out of sight toward the DMZ Celestia and Luna had established for medical duty. Eric lifted the radio to his lips, destroyed that someone had gotten hurt under his command.

"Sword to all call-signs, Pull out. I repeat, Retreat to the capitol. Double time." He turned around, seeing four zombies standing on the roof. He drew a kukri, pressing the button on his radio again. "Bolt squadron, make one last pass and head home." He chopped off a zombie's head, ducking and turning around to slice up into another. He dropped the radio, no longer needing it. He drew the other kukri as he dropped to his knees, sliding over the slick roof and slashing in a scissors motion, decapitating two more. Eric felt his knees leave the roof.

He rolled into a tumble as he descended to the ground. He found his swords lying beside him, sunken into the ground between two decapitated zombies. He pulled up the blades as the Wonderbolts plowed through the remaining zombies in the square. He looked to his left, watching the enemy retreat into the residential district. "Shit," Eric mumbled before watching the group of five around a house explode out. In the center of the event was another human, holding a zombie in his left elbow and pulling at its head with the right. The human tore the monsters head from its neck, roaring at the gathering crowd around him. "The hell is going on?" he said as he watched the human punch a zombie that charged so hard that its head flew off. The person followed with a swinging right kick to another, the results the same.

Eric ran towards the human, slashing and chopping with his dual swords as he went into the fray, trying to reach and aid the familiar form ahead. Eric burst through the last line of zombies with a back slash to two more. "Hey! Need a good blade by your side?" he asked, twirling the steel in a right upward stroke, mincing the legs and skull of another zombie. The human looked at him with crimson eyes.

"Yeah, just stay out of my way," the human said, delivering open palm thrusts to three more zombies that jumped after him. their heads and front legs burs from the pressure of his blow. "I'm Mat," the human said, ducking as Eric threw a knife towards him. the silver blade sunk fully into a striking zombies head. "Thanks!" he called after looking back.

"Don't mention it," Eric said as he ducked, letting Mat sweep a leg over his head. Eric heard the snap and crack of bones from Mat's foot planting into several foes. Keith lunged forward, impaling a zombie through the face. He jerked his sword up, pulling the body wit hit and casting it into the horde. "Do you think we may be getting over run?" Eric asked before a hunting horn sounded in the distance.

"They have a dragon!" a pony wit ha shrill cry announced. The remaining horde ran away from the town as Eric and Mat watched the horizon. Through the haze of the rain, a thudding sound and tremors issued. A black dragon with skeletal wings and chunks of flesh missing lumbered into view. It roared once, loosing a jet of fire into the sky.

"You want this one, or may I?" Eric asked wit ha grin. Mat shrugged, smirking. He patted Eric on the back, his eyes now bright, glowing blue.

"It's all yours, buddy." He gave Eric a shark-like grin before running after the retreating zombies. Eric rose a pistol to the air, firing twice to get the beasts attention.

"Hey! Asshole! Pick on someone your own size!" Eric broke into a run as the dragon loosed another breath of flame at his position. Eric wove between building and alleyways, trying to get close to the monster. He exited an alley, coming up beside the monsters leg. 'What have I gotten myself into?' he asked as he looked up the fifty foot monster. From behind him came three loud pops, followed by three fireballs impacting the dragon in the neck, cheek and snout. The small balls of fire disappeared as Eric watched the spectacle.

"What did that do?" he yelled just before a rumble was heard. The dragon swayed slightly before a large ball of fire and brains erupted from its skull, followed close by an equal explosion that demolished its snout. There was another rumble as the beast's throat bulged. The bulge burst into a fountain of burning fluid and flesh chunks as large as Eric. "Uh oh," he muttered before running away from the spectacle.

He ran through an alley back to the square of the industrial park. He exited the alley and entered the square, looking back just in time to see the now headless behemoth fall. The creatures wing landed around Eric, the bones shattering and falling on the warehouses. "Who ever that was, thank you." He said, staring at the expanding puddle of burning fluids.

"You're welcome!" a female voice called from behind him. he turned around to face the person who yelled. It was a woman, she had a metal arm that showed through the torn right sleeve of her leather jacket. A smoking metal leg was also visible through a large hole in her leather pants. They had deep blue bolts of lightning on them. Her jacket was unzipped, revealing a like colored bra and the waist band of her undergarments. She jumped down from the roof of a warehouse, holding a bag and a shirt and vest. She walked up to him thrusting the items into his arms. "These are yours I believe," she said, lowering an eye patch over a blue, steel eye.

Erik stuck the blade of one of his swords into the ground putting on the vest and shirt and seating his blades into their scabbards on the pack before shouldering it. "your Side arm and throwing knives are in the bag." she said, reaching in and pulling out the .45. she stuck in his hand as she dug again for the seven blades she dug out of the skulls of the re-killed zombies. Eric holstered the weapon, taking the blades from her and slipping them into their sheaths.

"Thanks…" he held up his hands, at a loss for words. The woman laughed, shaking black blood from the blade on her metal arm.

"I'm Sapphire," she said, the blade on her arm retracting as she held out a hand. "don't worry, I don't bite." Eric fit his right hand into hers, shaking.

"Eric Johnson, Professional zombie killer and knight of Equestria." Sapphire seemed legitimately impressed with his status, nodding slightly.

"Very nice," She complemented. "Only a day and a half here and you're already a top ranking member of society." She chuckled before letting go of his hand. Eric was bewildered by her knowledge of him. she noticed his confused face and explained. "The eye," she said, pointing to her eye patch. "It lets me find things out about a person. And it says you should be dead." Eric nodded.

"Dumb scientist tried to send me to another world before Luna rescued me to have me risk my life," he laughed nervously. "Umm, yeah I still haven't figured out how that works thought…" There was talk and yelling over the radio he had dropped half hour ago. Sapphire ran over to the building, crouching on her mechanical leg and jumped up to it in one bound. She returned shortly with the device in hand. Eric nodded and looked around the area, spotting Mat.

"All clear!" he yelled over before jogging up to the two. Mat embraced Sapphire when they met, kissing her on the lips. Eric shook his head and turned around, walking toward the center of the square.

"Ponyville is clear, I repeat. All undead have fled or been finished. Send in the clean up crew." He slipped the radio onto his belt, sitting down on a stoop and waiting for the pick up he was promised.

**Once again, big shout to Bahamut for lending me Mat and Sapphire. i doubt this chapter would have been half as juicy if he didn't. (that dragon woulda been a complete _BITCH_.) R&R please :)**

**Sapphire - used with permission of Bahamut Crisis Core.**

**Mat**** - used with permission of Bahamut Crisis Core**


	4. Chapter 4

**AWWW YEEEEAAAAAAAH! :D at this rate, I'm gonna have one helluva story. Keep sending me messages if you have an OC you would like to see in this zimbietastic story. **

**DISCLAIMER! "a disclaimer ate my mommy" o_o YOU KNOW THE DRILL!**

"Ow." Eric repeated in a monotone as a pony swabbed alcohol on a bite wound. "You know, I've been bitten before doc." He said to the white pony that was treating a bite on his back. "I will survive without proper care, just like the other twenty times." The pony poked a particularly sensitive spot, causing Eric to jump up and bounce around until the pain subsided.

"I know you've gone through worse, Sir." Nurse Redheart said, setting the swab down. "But if we don't care to it properly, you will have complications. A scar on that muscle will severely limit your mobility and combat effectiveness, knight." She motioned for him to lay down on the table as she pinked up a bandage and gauze roll. Eric followed her orders and in no time he was bandaged. The nurse left a syringe of Morphine on the table beside him. "This is your pain management perception. Once a week, when you come in for a check up on that wound, you will have 500cc of Morphine. I'll leave you to administer it, considering the best way to get over needles is to do it your self." She walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Eric nodded to himself, shaking his hands as the adrenaline from his phobia began to course. "You can do this, Eric," he said, bolstering his confidence. "But, god damn did it have to be a needle?" he asked no one in particular as he lifted the needle from its alcohol bath. He dipped his finders in the basin afterward, rubbing the disinfectant on the crook of his elbow. He plunged the needle into his arm with his eyes closed, sucking air through his teeth as the sting subsided. He pushed in the plunger, feeling the head rush begin to set in from nausea.

He sat there for a minute, the empty syringe lying on the table. He was wobbling on the table, trying to keep his bearings past the high. "Whoooooo…oooo…oo..oo." he fell back onto the table, giggling. "It doesn't kill pain," he mused aloud. "It just makes you not give a damn, heh." He blinked, feeling the spike recede. He sat up and grabbed the bed pan on the table, vomiting into it. "But it could be easier on the stomach." He said before heaving again.

After the nausea subsided, Eric stood up and set the bedpan aside. He looked around for his belt with the .45's and Kukri blades. They were across the room, beside his new duffel bag and shirt. He slipped into the shirt before belting on the weapons. The garment was burgundy, flowing and felt like some form of plant fiber. Rarity had made it fore him after he chased a hiding zombie from her basement. The belt went on and he picked up the bag that held the rest of his gear.

Eric walked out of the exam room, turning around to find someone to direct him. "Hey Eric!" was the familiar voice behind him. He turned around to see Rainbow Dash with a splint over her stitched wing. Eric walked up and bumped his fist against the hoof she held out. "So how did it go?" she asked, wheeling down the hallway with him. "Is Ponyville still there?" Eric nodded.

"It's still there, but I doubt it would have been if you hadn't saved me from that fall. Thanks again for that," he said, messing up her already messy mane with his hand. She swatted his arm away with her good wing.

"Yeah, yeah, let's just call it even for you saving my tail back there," she said, waving a hoof at him. "You should go get cleaned up, I think I see zombie bits on ya." Eric looked down at his clothes and what of his chest showed through the shirt. She was right, he still had gore splattered across his body. "The motel is about five minutes down the street to the left when you get outta here." She informed.

"Yeah, I do smell kinda ripe don't I?" he asked trying to remember the last time he had actually taken a shower. "Tell ya what," he said. "Celestia gave me some money for saving Ponyville and set up a salary for me. I'll go get cleaned up and buy you some real food on the way back. I doubt the food here is any good." Dash laughed at his offer, nodding furiously.

"Yeah, the slop they serve here has no taste, it's totally lame." She stopped wheeling her char when they reached the door. "I'm not cleared to go out yet," she explained. "Something about bone infection. I'll see you later, ok?" she asked pulling him down to her level. She hugged him again, finding him to be the best friend she had. "Be careful, brony." She said as she let him up.

Eric smiles a messed her mane again. "Me, careful?" he asked with a smile. "Have you met me yet, Dash?" he chuckled as she giggled at his joke. "Get well soon, RD," he said. "Doc's said you got about two weeks in here, so I might have a surprise for you when you get out." He waved back as he walked out of the sliding doors.

Canterlot was magnificent in the noon day sun. The white stone walls of the hospital walls and fence shimmered and sparkled, reflecting the light in all directions. The rest of the city was similarly adorned with brilliantly colorful hues of stone. He walked out into the street, waving at ponies he didn't know who seemed to know him already. "Word travels fast, I guess," he muttered to himself.

"It sure does," a familiar voice from behind him said. Mat came up beside him, stretching his claws as dark clouds loomed over the horizon. "Not many humans here, Eric." He said looking at him. He wore a deep red hoodie and baggy black pants with red trim on the pockets and hem. A pair of shades rested over his eyes, right below a lock of golden hair in a mess of brown. "When one shows up, word of mouth finds its way around Equestria quite fast."

Eric turned around to face Mat. "When did you get here, Mat?" Eric asked. "Why were you in Ponyville when the horde was lead in?" He was genuinely suspicious. This man, no older than twenty two at the most, was poised to launch an offensive on the undead with a Cyborg woman. The whole thing didn't add up. Mat looked up at the sky as the first of the rain clouds moved in.

"About a month ago, I have been trailing the Lazarus Virus since I got here." He looked back at Eric. "You aren't the only one to go through the event horizon, Eric. Know that. The Russians and Chinese found similar singularities in the crust. And they sent through as many people as they could before the hole collapsed indefinitely." Eric began to walk off into town on his own before Mat said, "I'd keep an eye out at the motel, Eric! You might find a friend!"

Eric walked down the broad road, keeping to the sidewalk to avoid the carriages and carts that went by that were laden with goods for sale. The glowing, neon red sign of the Canterlot Inn and Hostel loomed closer as he walked. He wanted to go in, get a room and a shower, and then goof off for the rest of the day. Walking into the lobby, several ponies stopped and looked at him. He stood there, staring back before a wild cheer erupted from the crowd.

The lobby looked like an old west saloon more than a ritzy motel. There was a bar and plenty of tables for drinkers. Several of the ponies motioned for Eric to join them, which he politely turned down. He wasn't an idiot, he knew morphine and alcohol didn't mix. The lights were low and tobacco smoke clogged the air. To his left, in a corner with no light, he spotted the glint of gold, along with the shadowed form of a human. The figure followed Eric with its eyes as he worked his way to the bar, ponies shaking his hand and blessing him in their various faiths for coming to help them.

Eric sat down at the bar and ordered a cup of coffee, trying to get the cotton mouth from the injection off his tongue. "By the way," he said to the pony behind the counter. "How much is a room for a week?" the Bartender returned with his drink and refused payment, saying it was on the house.

"What size room are you looking for?" he asked. "We have single rooms in all sizes, and double beds in twin and full. For families we offer a double queen package, but those are currently filled by the refugees from Southpony." He pulled out a cloth and wiped down the counter where a customer had spilled a lager.

"How much for a single king?" he asked, drinking the coffee. It was strong, very strong and bitter. It smelled of Hazelnuts. The bartender pulled up a roster from the bar.

"Lucky you," he said. "We have one single king left. It runs sixty bits a night." Eric pulled a burlap purse up from his belt, setting it on the counter and reaching in for his money. "But, for the savior of Ponyville it is only thirty bits." The colt added with a smile before taking the empty cup from him. Eric counted out the money and handed it to him. The bartender counted out the bits, nodding and swiping them into a drawer. He set the keys on the counter. "Upstairs, down the hall and to the left. Second from the end." Eric nodded and walked toward the stairs, watched by the human in the corner all the while.

He reached the door to his room and unlocked the door. Opening it, he was met by a teenage human with white hair that hung down past his shoulders. He held a gold trimmed, silver pocket watch in his right hand as he looked up at Eric. "Hmm, early again." He said in a high baritone voice, seemingly disappointed. "You will be wondering who I am, no wait, that's happening now." He said, strolling over to the king size bed and sitting down, crossing one leg over the other. "I am Leoj Clocktum, and I will come to talk to y… damn, that's also happening now."

Eric thought the man was insane for sure. "I am not, one moment more and everything will come together." The man vanished, reappearing a moment later in front of Eric with his back turned. "That's better, now let us get down to business." The teenager checked his watch, nodding and depositing it in left chest pocket of the vest he wore. He resumed his sitting exactly before. "I am here to offer you my help." He said with a slight smile. Eric was utterly confused.

"Um, Leoj, is it?" he said, setting his duffel bag down and laying his palm on a pistol. "I don't mean to be rude, but you seem a little…" the teenager stood up, billowing out his cloak and vanishing behind a corner lamp.

"Off Kilter?" he asked, appearing behind Eric with a smile. "Mad, bonkers, insane even?" Leoj walked around Eric, stopping before him. "Yes Eric Johnson, twenty eighth of April, year 2027 Current Era of Earth. Your mother was Evelyn Johnson, maiden name Harris. Your father a drunken slob that she forced out of her house before she gave birth. She refused to allow you to meet him until you were thirteen. You witnessed the fall of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. You saw the cycle repeat to polytheism, the ruling elite bring down the powerful civilization of America." He stopped pacing now, turning to within mere inches of Eric's face. "You said that it was like the fall of Rome yourself. And indeed it was. I watched as Rome fell, not interfering as history was allowed to run its course."

Leoj walked back to the bed, sitting as before. "Yes Eric Johnson, I am mad. Gloriously enshrouded in sanity at the same. I have seen time from the beginning of your miserable race's ancient ancestors and beyond. I was around when dinosaurs roamed Terra. I watched as the creatures of land first stepped out of the water." Leoj said as he disappeared again, this time into a wall. Leoj dropped out of the ceiling casually, checking his watch again. "I was insane once," he said, sitting down yet again. "But I got bored with it and became the most sane being alive, next to a rock."

"Yeah…" Eric said, unzipping his bag and removing the bloodied clothing and back pack. He dumped the contents of one bag into the other. "Well, you're welcome to kill as many Lazarus victims as you want, Leoj." Eric said, shrugging before moving over to the linen closet and removing a towel, bar of soap and bottle of shampoo. "But right now, I'm going to enjoy the first shower I have had in over a year." Eric walked into the bathroom and turned on the hot water.

Leoj stood up and walked toward the door, not bothering to open it as he whistling a merry tune. He vanished through an unseen rift in time space, being punctual as he was. Leoj reappeared outside Canterlot, before a house atop a hill. He walked forward, dragging a burlap sack behind him. He stopped before the door, laying the sack down and pinning a note to it. He knocked twice, walking back through another portal and appearing in Eric's room as he exited the shower an hour later.

"Sweet!" Eric yelled as he jumped free of his towel. "Don't you know how to knock?" he asked, pulling a pair of clean pants on. Leoj walked through eyeing how Eric had set up the room. Eric was pulling a black shirt on over his head when Leoj began to walk toward the door. He opened the wooded barrier, having somewhere to be and he could make it without traveling through a spatial hole.

"Mat and Sapphire are waiting for you in the club," he informed, stepping through the doorway and holding the door with his hand. "I would suggest meeting with them before you head back to talk with Rainbow Dash." Eric gave him yet another odd look like he didn't believe him. "What part of temporal lord do you not understand, Eric?" Leoj asked. "Honestly. For a man of science and innovation, you are a little obtuse." With that he closed the door.

Eric sat down on the bed as he belted on his weapons. On the coat rack was a black trench coat that wasn't there before. A sealed envelope was attached with a safety pin to a button hole, a clockwork cog and lock on the front. Eric stood, walking over to the coat. He took the envelope from the black leather, opening it along the side. Inside was a yellow piece of parchment with blue ink. 'Welcome to the group, Eric. Time is on your side.' It was written in a very stylized calligraphy.

Eric lifted the coat from the rack, feeling the leather. It was bull hide, died and thick yet very supple. He put it on, sliding his arms through the sleeves. The garment fell almost to the ground, leaving just enough room for him to walk without tripping over it. Inside the coat was small, hard pockets with concealed blades. Removing one, Eric spun it around on his palm, twisting his hand to let it spin around his thumb and onto the back of his hand. He tossed it up, snatching the blade and casting it three inches into the brick wall.

"Very nice, Leoj…" he said to himself. He walked over to the wall, retrieving the blade. "Balanced forward yet equal, and a titanium blade fused with tungsten carbide body and handle." He slipped it back into the sheath in the coat. Eric noticed a light reflection in the inside pocket. It was a pair of midnight black sunglasses with polarized lenses. "A little Hollywood, don't you think?" he asked slipping the glasses over his eyes. They fit perfectly. The lenses lit up, a bar of light moving from the center to the sides. An interface screen appeared instantly. "Haliburton, huh?" Eric said as the name scrolled by.

"Eric," it was an image of Mat on the lenses. "Come to the Darkhorse club on 52nd and Mane Street. We need to talk." And with that the picture faded, The lenses pointing toward the club on a see through map.

'At least I won't get lost,' Eric thought. He tuned around, lifting the duffel bag and slipping it over his head. He exited the room, locking it behind him. he descended the stairs and waved to a few ponies that raised their mugs to him. out on the street, he had an alert blip on his glasses. **40 unknown targets moving toward Canterlot. ETA seven hours.** The alert faded away, letting Eric continue his journey through the majestic town. After five minutes of walking, the thump off a drum N' bass style song was audible.

The bouncer had let him in with a bow, using several honorifics. Eric had to admit, the praise was starting to get on his nerves. He entered the dance club to be assaulted by thudding bass and blindingly disorienting strobe shows. The glasses he was wearing filtered as mush of the show lights out as it could, but it was still overwhelming. Eric felt his stomach rise as dizziness set in. 'Five years of gore and rotting bodies and this gets you?' he asked himself mentally. Where was a loud whistle above and behind him. he looked up to see Mat waving him up. Eric climbed the skeletal support structure to the overhead catwalk, swinging his legs over the rail at the top.

"Glad you could make it." Mat said, his voice being transmitted over a head phone that formed from the glasses. He held out a glass. "Mint vodka?" he asked. Eric shook his head and pushed the glass away.

"I had about 500ccs of Morphine about two hours ago," he explained, finding Mat understood what he had said. "No matter how much I like booze, I like not being in a coma more." He laughed in grim humor. Eric grinned at him, chuckling also. His teeth looking like they had been filed into fangs.

"I understand," Mat said, nodding his head to the beat of the trance song that now played. "I'm not one for alcohol, but mint gets me like a damn cat." He sat down slouching back into the chair. He motioned to the seat next to him. "Take a load off. We need to talk about a few things." Eric set his duffel bag on the table, taking the seat Mat had specified. "What all do you have in there?" Mat asked, patting the bag.

"If I remember right," Eric began. "Two Heckler&Koch MachenPistol fives, three crossbows of varying amounts of pull, seventy explosive broad heads, one hundred heavy weight bolts. Around a thousand and five hundred assorted rounds of ammunition, two Smith&Wesson five hundred magnum hand guns, and a fifty caliber sniper rifle, disassembled." He finished and looked out towards the crowd dancing. On the turntables were two beings. One a unicorn with violet sunglasses on and Sapphire. Both were churning out bass and dancing.

"You travel pretty heavy for such a light weight guy, Eric" Mat pointed out, taking another sip of his drink. "Is North America that heavily infested?" he asked. Eric sighed and nodded.

"Yeah, it is." He confirmed. "Anywhere outside of town is abandoned. But the Lazarus flock to the cities." Eric shook his head as he pulled a knife from inside his coat. He balanced the blade on the tip of a finger, amusing himself. "I hear China and Russia were the first to be infected, and the fastest to act also. Reports said they had a full quarantine. Shooting anything that wasn't escorted in the head on sight." Mat nodded as Sapphire worked her way toward them on the catwalk.

"The reports were right," Mat confirmed. "I was one of the Special Forces soldiers sent out to torch the victims. Moscow was the first city to fall, followed by St. Petersburg. In China," she shook his head slowly. "They acted fast but they acted brash as well. Each raid gave more victims to the swarm." Sapphire stopped in front of the two, sitting on the rail and holding the knee of her mechanical leg. Eric could have sworn he saw pink in Mat's shades.

"Hey boys," Sapphire said, flexing the limb repeatedly. "Mat, I forgot to clean the gunk out of my leg last night, you think you could help me out?" she asked, winking at him slightly. Mat smirked, setting his glass down on the table.

"Sure thing sis," he replied, standing up and putting an arm around her shoulder. He turned to Eric. "You should go do something for the rest of the day. Leoj reported a flight of some unknown targets moving in, so we might have a fight on our hands." Eric nodded, standing up and returning the duffel bag to his side. Eric said his good byes and jumped over the rail, landing before a pony and causing them to spill their drink.

Out on the street, the clouds that were on the horizon had fallen over the city, leaving a shadowed coolness to the area. Eric had made plans to share a meal with Dash before trying to find Twilight and Keith. He walked toward the hospital, picking up several muffins and a few loaves of bread from a bakery. 'No meat, figures.' He thought as he continued on his way. When he reached the gates to the hospital, a pony handed him a box marked the Savior of Ponyville. It had the same stationary attached that the jacket did. He took the letter off and read it.

I apologize for not telling you earlier. Eating meat here is taboo and illegal, though Celestia and the ponies turn a blind eye to it for humans and carnivorous pets. Inside is a meatloaf from 1997. It should still be fresh. Don't let it touch anything from the same year that was made on Earth, or it will vaporize everything within a mile radius. Also, I have left a bottle of Applewine from Sweet Apple Acres for you to share with your friend. And just for her is a fresh Daisy sandwich.

Sincerely, Leoj Clocktum.

Eric stuffed the letter in his pocket. Meatloaf sounded divine right now, but from 1997? He shrugged and walked toward the hospital doors. Inside he pulled a nurse aside, trying to find Rainbow Dash. The nurse led him to her room, wishing him a good day as she went about her business. Eric opened the door and took off the glasses, clipping them to the pocket he found them in.

"Eric!" came the raspy voice of the grounded Pegasus. She wheeled up to him and hugged him. "About time you got here, I don't think I could stand another second in this lame place." She laughed, poking the box he held with a hoof. "What's in there?" she asked.

Eric held it up. "A daisy sandwich on rye, a bottle of AJ's wine, and something just for me since I haven't been able to find something decent to eat for five years and bread is starting to make me sick." He chuckled, setting the box down on a table. He opened it, removing two stemware glasses, the wine bottle, Dash's sandwich and his wrapped meatloaf. He handed the sandwich to Dash and opened the bottle of wine, pouring two glasses. Dash took one and drank greedily from it. 'must be good stuff,' he thought to himself as he poured her another glass.

As Eric unwrapped the meatloaf, Dash made a grimacing face. "Meat?" she asked, setting the sandwich down and grabbing her glass again. Eric nodded, pulling a large chunk off and placing it on his tongue. He sighed and leaned back as he chewed the food. Dash though he might have gotten off with just the taste alone.

"Oh my god," Eric mumbled past the food before swallowing. "Man, I haven't had meat in years." he said, breaking off another chunk of the loaf. Dash raised an eyebrow as he continued to enjoy the meal with gusto.

"Is it that good?" she asked, skeptically. Eric shrugged, chewing the mouth full of food further. He swallowed it, taking a sip if the wine in his glass. It was delicious!

"Not really," he said. "But it is the first one I've had in about five years, so it's better than normal." He pointed to the loaf. "It has meat, obviously. But it also has bell peppers, onions, some bread, potatoes and I think banana peppers." Eric turned the food toward her, letting her see the multicolored cross section. "Looks kind of like something a dog threw up." Eric joked with a smile.

Dash chuckled nervously. Was meat really that bad? If so many creatures ate it, then why was it taboo? "Do you have ponies where you're from?" she asked, taking another bite of her sandwich. Eric nodded, drinking his wine. Dash swallowed the bite. "Do they eat meat?" she asked. Eric made a so-so motion with his hand.

"Kind of," he said. "They wont eat it off a freshly dead animal, but I watched several of them eat hamburgers at my friends house before the virus killed everything." He broke another bite off the loaf, chewing on it before continuing. "They seem to like the flavor of the fat that cooks out of the meat." He held out another chunk to Dash. "You want to try some?" he asked. Dash's eyes widened at the notion.

She had, for a split half a second, actually considered it. 'What the hay are you thinking?' she yell in her mind at herself. 'It's bucking illegal for you to eat that!' she though about it again. 'But if ponies elsewhere eat it, it can't be that wrong… can it?' without thinking, she reached out. Eric set the chunk of greasy flesh on her hoof before taking another bite himself. She popped the ball of fat and meat in her mouth, chewing it slowly. It was good! Of all the rules she had broken, this was one of the ones she did not regret immediately. It tasted like a soy bean patty mixed with potatoes, peppers and…

"Sugar?" she said out loud. There was no denying what her taste buds were telling her. There was definitely sugar mixed in with it. She turned to Eric, raising an eyebrow. "Is there sugar in this?" she asked. Eric nodded as he finished his bite, handing her the lash chunk. She took it with out hesitation this time. Despite what she had been told, no matter what the law said. Meat was delicious. "Mmm, you can't tell anypony this happened." She said to Eric. "While you can eat it with out consequence, I would get in serious trouble for it." She took a drink of her wine, swishing it around in her mouth to get the meat out.

Eric made a mock salute before pouring himself another glass of the wine. "So how's the wind doing? Having fun while you're grounded?" she grinned, chuckling as Dash nearly had a stroke from raging. She ranted up and down about how much the place sucked. Mentioning several times that it was lame beyond belief.

"but it have to say," she said, sounding slightly guilty. "I think I would have gone nuts if the reading cart wasn't here." Eric laughed. She didn't seem to be the type to read very often.

"Is the great Rainbow Dash a book worm?" he asked, faking a British accent. "I thought you would be up running around the hospital, having the doctors and nurses catch you before you would take your medication. But I didn't see reading." He had fallen back to the West Coast accent he had naturally, chuckling as Dash's face turned four shades of red.

"Hey, don't knock it till you try it," she defended. "It's a load more fun than I thought it would be." She wheeled over to the bed, pulling a book out from under the sheets. "And Daring Do is awesome." She laughed, setting the book back where she had gotten it from.

"You don't have to tell me," he said. "I'm a scientist in advanced chemistry, aerodynamics, and physics. You have no idea what I'm talking about do you?" he asked as he noticed her face go blank.

"No," she admitted. "I'm amazed that the Savior of Ponyville is an Egghead! I have never seen a scientist that could fight like you do! You killed over five hundred zombies alone!" Dash continued to list of feats he had done while she was at the battle, growing slightly more excited with each one. "You're like…" she stopped. "Your twenty percent cooler than Daring Do for crying out loud!" she face hoofed. Turning around and groaning. "The coolest human ever is a total egghead…" she mused.

Erik heard a beeping sound in his coat. he pulled out the glasses, putting them on and setting the microphone on. "Yo! This is Doc Holiday." He said, prompting Dash to turn around and look at what he was doing. Eric was reclining nonchalantly in a rolling chair, a long black trench coat and black boots. He was in all black, except for the weapons he had. The glasses he had on looked as if they had a microphone in them for communication. All of this, coupled with the spiked hair and beard made him look like a secret agent.

'defiantly twenty percent cooler than everything in Equestria.' She thought, sighing. 'Wait, am I sighing over him?' she thought. She did it again, this time leaning on her hoof. 'dang it, Dash,' Eric nodded as he looked into the glasses, causing her to snap out of her daydream.

"Copy, did you say we are missing someone from the evacuation?" he asked whoever was on the glasses. "Yellow Pegasus? You mean Fluttershy?" he asked, staying cool. Dash had started to freak out. How could she have forgotten to make sure Fluttershy had gotten out of there. "I got this, I should be back before too long." He took off the glasses, an ear piece retracting into the frame. "Well it looks like I have work to do." He said.

"What happened? Where is she? Is she ok?" Dash fired off question after question. Eric huffed in frustration. He stuck a hand over Dash's mouth.

"I'm taking the teleportation network to Ponyville so I can look for Fluttershy. The cleanup crew is still clearing the streets, so if she is there she is very well guarded. Calm down. I should be back with her within the hour." He let go of her, Dash inhaling quickly.

"I was supposed to make sure all ponies outside of the town limits had evacuated safely, but I didn't. I forgot to check up on Fluttershy and she's probably dead not because of me!" Dash blurted the whole thin out in one breath.

'she must be a screamer,' he thought, mentally kicking himself for the thought. 'do it again and I will blow you up myself.' He knelt town to eye level placing a hand on her cheek and rubbing it with his thumb. "Don't worry, kid." He said. "Everyone makes mistakes. Albeit a life or death mistake, but anyway. I'm sure she's fine. I'm going to take some heavy weapons, get her out, and bring her back here so you can be the first to have a weight off your shoulders, is that clear?" he asked. The Pegasus nodded meekly, tears now falling down her face.

"Come on now," Eric said in a softer voice. He wiped away her tears with his thumbs. "You stay strong, you hear me? If I don't find her, I won't come back until ever last one of those monsters are dead." He patted her on the cheek. He stood up and walked over to his bag, taking the trench coat off and setting it aside. Unzipping it, he pulled out the swords he had used in the battle. He slipped the scabbards on like a shirt, tightening a strap across his chest to make sure they were secure. He retrieved a corset type item that he clipped to his abdomen. He placed twenty clips of hollow-point 9mm ammo into the long pockets and eight clips of 45 caliber ammo into the short ones.

He picked up an H&K MP5, loading it and locking the action so it wouldn't go off on his back. He slipped a hanging strap over his head, clipping the weapon to it. He slipped his trench coat on again, the back of the garment molding itself to the swords and changing so the handles and scabbards were free. "That was cool," Rainbow Dash said as Eric looked into the mirror on the wall. He really like this coat now.

"The only thing better would be if it stops bullets," he mused aloud. Eric zipped the bag up, putting it in an empty locker in the room. "Make sure that doesn't go anywhere for me, ok?" Dash nodded as he hugged her. "See ya later kid," he said as he walked out of the room. He walked down the hall, putting on his glasses. "Leoj, you there?" he said into the mic as it appeared. There was two chirps, notifying a received message. "Alert the teleportation supervisor. A Knight wants a free ride to save a life." He turned off the mic with a press of a button.

Exiting the hospital, Eric jogged toward the castle where the teleportation network was based for this sector. ponies moved aside as he ran through them. Half way there he was joined by Mat and Sapphire. "About time you two came up for air." Eric joked, keeping his pace constant. They ran for about two minutes before they reached the castle walls. the guards saw them and stepped aside, letting the the humans move through to the garden. in the center of the large space was Leoj standing beside four unicorns in lab coats.

"Right on time," he said, closing his pocket watch and stowing it away. He walked backwards into the circle the unicorns had drawn out in chalk. "Are we all ready for a trip down memory lane?" he asked as the others slowed into a stop in the circle. They all cast curious stares at him . "Oh, yes. I'm sorry. That hasn't happened yet." Sapphire raised her eye patch to her forehead, letting the blade on her arm fall into place by her side. The sound of a chamber cycling could be heard from her leg as she dropped a flap to reveal a gun barrel. Eric lifted the MP5 from its place, extending the butt-stock and seating it against his shoulder. He held his left hand up, ready to drop the action once they arrived. Leoj drew a skeletal rapier, Cogs and Gears adorned the cross-guard and hilt while the handle was wrapped in silver chain. Mat lowered himself into a crouch, flexing his arms to build up muscle mass. He held his hands open with the palms forward, ready to take on anything that might attack.

"Ponyville, please." Leoj said to the unicorn before him. "As close to miss Fluttershy's cottage as you can." The unicorn nodded, lowering his horn until it pointed directly at the group. The other magicians did as well, charging their horns before loosing a beam at each one of the humans.

**OMIGOSH IT'S NEO! No, it isn't. Its Eric Johnson. He cannot fly, he cannot do impossible feats of strength. Yet at least. R&R please.**

**Mat and Sapphire - used with permission of Bahamut Crisis Core.**

**Leoj Clocktum – used with permission of Timefather64.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer! You know what to do! (RUN! ITS DISCLAIMER!)**

**I forgot to add something to the original post of this chapter, and I apologize . This is the corrected ****document**

The white light that surrounded Eric fell away, revealing the glade beyond Fluttershy's cottage. Upon exiting the field the unicorns has cast he was thrown from ten feet up. Eric landed with a splash into the pond near the house. He swam forward below the surface. He felt his feet touch the muddy bottom and he surged forward with his legs. As he came up out of the water he slapped the action on his MP5, setting the bolt to close. He looked around the area, water falling into his eyes. There was nothing around the area but hills, grass and trees. He slogged through the muck at the bottom of the pond until he reached land. There he crouched, unloading the magazine and opening the bolt. Water poured from every open crevice. 'Good thing I didn't have to come up fighting,' he thought. 'That would have been painful.'

Eric reloaded the drained firearm, looking up as a thunderclap resounded through the area. It was Sapphire. She fell through the air, landing in the pond like Eric had. "Dammit!" she yelled as she broke the surface. "You think they could find a way to put you on the ground," she ranted as she stood and slogged through the mud at the bottom of the pond. "But no, they have to make you come in from altitude and fall." She got out of the water, draining her arm and leg with hidden hatches in the devices. "Now I'm going to fucking rust!" she exclaimed to no one in an exasperated voice.

Another thunderclap released Mat from the event, sending him off course and into a tree. They could hear a frustrated yell and branches snapping as he clawed his way out of the leaves. "I, _hate_, teleportation." He said, landing on his feet and walking towards the two soaked humans. "The hell happened to you two?" he asked. Eric and Sapphire pointed back at the pond over their shoulders. Mat looked at them, still huffing and panting. "Lucky you, then. Why do I always get the damn tree?" Another thunderclap sounded and Leoj appeared before them with his rapier raised and glowing white hot.

"Oh my," he said upon seeing the two soaked comrades and Mat with twigs and leaves attached to him. "What happened?" he asked. Eric shook his head and loosed a bark of humorless laughter, walking off from the others.

"Pond," Sapphire said dryly, twisting her long blue hair to drain the water from it before tossing it back over her head and joining Eric. Leoj reached out and pulled a twig off of Mat's shoulder.

"They tossed you into a tree again, didn't they?" he asked, not sure if it was memory or current. Mat growled and stalked off, joining Sapphire and Eric. Eric had pulled off his boots and was pouring a steady stream of water from them.

"I feel like I'm in a goddamn cartoon," he mumbled as the water continued to flow out of the boot. It finally stopped a moment later. Eric repeated the process with the other boot before putting them back on. "Alright guys and gals," he said standing up. "let's find that missing pony." He lifted his weapon and walked up to the house. The door was caved in and there was blood smeared on the frame. "Shit," he said. "Get up here! She might be hurt!"

Eric entered the room, turning on the flashlight he kept mounted under the barrel. He did a sweep, first at eye level, then high. "Room clear!" he called out behind him before putting on his glasses. The room lit up as objects were outlined with gray. 'That's nice,' he said as he looked up. ghostly images were displayed of the furniture upstairs, along with what looked like a pony. The pony was outlined in red, meaning the sonar had picked up no vital signs. "One hostile upstairs," he said before looking down. There were two more figures but the concrete blocked the sonar from getting a vital read. "Two unknowns downstairs, Sapphire on me." He turned off the radio as she came up beside him.

Eric moved toward the open door that led downstairs. The flight curved to the right. He slung his MP5 and pulled a knife and a pistol, preparing for the close quarters. He walked into the darkness, his glasses further illuminating the dark area. He moved down the stairs, sticking with his back to the outside wall. As he turned the corner he saw tow ponies. "Fluttershy?" he whispered before they were outlined in red. The zombies turned around and faced Eric. He heard the splash of blood from upstairs.

"Target neutralized, heading down to you Sword," the radio in his ear chirped. The zombies stood there, gnashing their teeth and hissing. Eric stood where he was, his weapon trained on the bodies. The basement smelled like decay and copper.

"What are you two doing?" he said, reaching back and retrieving a flashlight. He turned it on, shining it in the faces of the two monsters. They recoiled slightly, hissing as their eyes adjusted to the light. The radio chirped twice. "Blue, send down Clock. I need a like minded person." As he finished the call, Leoj walked into the light of Eric's torch. He stared at the two zombies as he closed his watch. Eric flashed the light to get his attention. "What do you think they're up to?" he asked the teenager. "It's almost as if you could walk up and give one a sugar cube."

Leoj though about the idea for a moment. "Be right back with you, Sword." He said, walking through the wall opposite the one he came through. In a few seconds, Leoj dropped out of the ceiling. He tossed something into the air, drawing his rapier and catching it on the point. He extended the blade towards the zombie on the right. The monster sniffed at the blade warily, quickly lashing its tongue out and taking whatever it was Leoj had caught. The teenager chuckled and returned the weapon to its scabbard at his waist. "Sugar cube, before you ask me again." He said, stopping Eric before he had begun to ask. "I though it would be funny."

He walked up and extended his palm forward. The zombie sniffed his hand. "Clock, I wouldn't do that if I were…" He was stopped as the Temporal Lord reached the remainder of the way out and scratched the zombie pony behind the ears. Eric lowered his light and weapon. "You gotta be shittin' me." Eric said as he walked farther into the room.

"Not in the least, here," he said, handing Eric a sugar cube from his pocket. "Put it on your blade and offer it to the other one. They are docile if they don't think you mean any harm." Leoj crouched down grabbing the jaw of the zombie he was before, opening it. Eric drew his Kukri, placing the sugar on the tip. The left zombie snatched it up, walking forward and smelling his hand. It brushed up against him like a dog or cat would.

"This is ridiculous," Eric said as he stroked the crown of the zombies head. The furless skin felt like wet leather. "Blue, does Talon have any blood on him?" he asked Sapphire over the com-link. He knew the answer already.

"Yeah," she replied. Eric could hear furniture being moved as they searched the room above. "He tore a head off as usual. Why are you asking?" she asked. Eric shook his head as the zombie licked his hand.

"Get a bowl of sugar from the kitchen," he advised over the radio. "Then come down alone. Talon," he notified Mat. "Take rear guard. Make sure nothing sneaks up out asses."

A moment later he heard a gasp from behind him. "Stop." he calmly said, projecting his voice so it bounced around the room. "Calmly walk over and take a palm full of the sugar out of the bowl." Sapphire walked over and held the sugar up to Eric. "Offer it to the zombie." He said, pulling his hand away from the zombie. Sapphire did as she was told, finding herself grinning and petting the creature before her.

"This is," she hesitated, shaking her head. "This is surreal, Eric. How did you figure this out?" she asked. Eric shrugged.

"I made a joke and Leoj took it to the extreme," Eric explained. He looked over at the teenager, he was examining the zombies teeth and tongue with his fingers. "He offered it a sugar cube and started this little trend we have." Eric walked around behind the two zombies. "Hello," he said crouching down and training his flashlight on a hole in the wall. It was two feet across and a foot tall. "Leoj, get over here."

"It goes all the way back into the hills behind us," Leoj said. everyone's glasses showed a map the sonar had traced out. "It ends somewhere in the Everfree. After that," he shrugged. Eric handed his MP5 to Sapphire.

"Only one way to find where it ends," he said, laying down and low crawling into the hole. He was most of the way in when the zombies grabbed his coat tail, pulling him out and shaking their heads. "What the hell?" He asked, staring as the refusing zombies. One opened its mouth to talk, but all that came out was a series of gurgles, growls and hisses. Leoj looked at the beast, pulling out a pencil and paper.

"Can you understand us?" he asked the beast. The zombie nodded. Leoj held up the paper scribbling on it in a corner. "Can you write?" he asked again. The zombie took the pencil from Leoj, writing on the paper he had set down. After a minute, it backed away. The paper had one word scrawled onto it. 'Danger.'

It was a simple message, though effective. Eric looked at the other humans before looking at the mildly intelligent creatures. "But if Fluttershy is in there, we have to find her." He said, pointing to the hole. The zombie on the left walked forward, crouching down and sliding its body into the hole. Eric cast a confused look at Leoj.

"Follow it," was all he said. "But be careful. We will stay here and watch your back." As if to emphasize this, the other zombie nudged Eric on his boot.

The tunnel was long, twisting and dark. The small amount of moving room meant he couldn't get his flashlight out, so he followed the red outline of the zombie in front of him. he had been crawling for about half an hour according to his mission clock. "Hey, can you still here me?" he asked over the radio. He kept following the creature in front of him.

"Wha…at? Or…eak…" was the garbled reply. Eric turned off his radio, focusing on the task at hand. it figured the ground was blocking radio, but the sonar still worked. The map showed the squad moving around the house he had left. Ahead more blips on the map appeared. Most of them were red, but a few had vital signs.

"Are you taking prisoners?" he asked the zombie ahead of him, rising to his hands and knees as the tunnel increased in height. The zombie shook its head, following it with a nod. "Something like that, huh?" he asked again. The creature nodded slightly, following it with a shrug. Eric fiddled with the buttons on his glasses, setting the sonar to pulse back Morse code.

"We got something from sonar, boys." Sapphire said, messing with the buttons. "Its Morse code," she said, waiting for the computer to decipher it. "Under the Everfree, have mass zombie presence ahead. Several living targets. Moving to rescue." She said. then there was a yellow message across the lenses. "Shit," she said. "We gotta move, he needs a way out faster than the tunnel."

Eric exited into the dark area. It was wide enough to move around freely, but damn it was dark. The NVG setting on the lenses wasn't enough. 'ok then,' Eric thought, raising his .45 out of its holster. 'Can I get a visual using sonar?' he thought, pressing the transmit button on his glasses. The room snowed up in waves before it came to life in a blue glow. 'nice,' he thought as he moved around the area. The zombies were everywhere, but the ran into objects and other zombies. Eric made his way around the hostiles, following the befriended creature.

To his right was a living target. He turned towards it, finding it incased in some form of cocoon. "What?" he mouthed staying silent. He approached the object, touching it. It felt like glass and paper at the same time, having some give when he pressed against it. The sonar produced an image of an undefined pony inside. 'There encasing them?' he thought, getting similar reads from the remaining five cocoons. 'Why would they do that?' Eric approached each one, finding there were two earth ponies, a unicorn and two Pegasi. The friendly creature, nudged him on the leg, leading him back to the first of the Pegasi he had found.

Eric knelt down, leaning close to the creatures ear. "Yellow with pink mane and tail." The creature nodded an affirmative to his whispered description. He had a chance to get Fluttershy and get out, but he had to save the other ponies as well.

"Look who's here," and Echoing voice said from somewhere in the room. Eric ducked behind a boulder as the sonar showed an Alicorn the size of Celestia on the other side of the apparently large room. It was undefined and had odd vital readings. The glasses pinged it as a yellow unknown. "It has been a long time, old one," the Alicorn spoke in the echoing voice. "Tell me, Leoj. What brings you into my lair?"

"Nothing important." The baritone voice of the kid spoke. The sonar showed him returning his watch to his pocket. "I simply sensed a disturbance in the flow of energy and found myself curious." Eric drew his knife, knowing what Clock was doing. He cut a cross into the cocoon, reaching in and wrapping his arm around Fluttershy. "Tell me Chrysalis," Leoj continued, stalling so Eric would have time to get the ponies out. "Why do you have so many reanimated corpses here?" he was walking around the cavern now, handing out sugar cubes as he went and petting them. Eric tapped Fluttershy on the cheek, trying to wake her up.

Her eyes opened and Eric put a hand over her mouth. He leaned over to her ear. "Stay quiet," he whispered. "There is a zombie next to me that will lead you to a tunnel. Go through it and there will be another. That one will lead you to a human named Mat. He is a friend. Stay with him." she whimpered and nodded. Eric set her down and the zombie led her off.

"These mindless creatures make the perfect subjects," Chrysalis said, her voice sending a chill down Eric's spine. It wasn't natural. He made his way to another cocoon, raising his knife as the zombie returned to guide the rescued pony to safety. "A little bit of telepathy and they are docile as a rabbit," she explained, apparently not afraid of Leoj. They were talking like old friends. "Albeit a rabbit with an appetite for pony flesh." She laughed, the disgusting sound covered up Eric's breaking of another Cocoon. He pulled the unicorn out, repeating his message and releasing him to follow his pet.

"You should know, Chrisie," Leoj continued, using the name like she was a girlfriend. "They have a serious sweet tooth." He was being followed by fifty zombies now, all nudging up against his hand when they could. "You could have gained their loyalty with a few pieces of candy if you wanted to." Eric was on the fourth cocoon, nearly finished. The earth pony let out a small yell before Eric could silence him.

"What was that?" Leoj asked, feigning ignorance and handing some sugar to another two zombies. Eric motioned from the earth pony to the zombie next to him. The colt nodded, staying silent while he followed the creature to the tunnel.

"You know Leoj," Chrysalis said, her tone taking on a seductive tone. The sound made Eric want to puke. "If you would accept my offer of courtship we could rule this planet with a grip of steel." Eric was on his way to the last cocoon when Chrysalis illuminated the cave. Eric froze and looked at her, sweat beading on his forehead when he found her looking straight at him. "But it seems that you find too much fun in taking my prey from me."

Eric stood tall, drawing his swords as Leoj placed the blade of his rapier against Chrysalis' throat. "Well Chrisie," he said, nearly mocking her. "I would love to, but you have always been, shall we say, a polar opposite to me. I do not interfere with the course of time lest it demands me to. While you seem to want to change everything." Chrysalis turned toward Leoj, scowling and impaling her neck of his blade.

"You have no idea what is good for you, Leoj." She snarled. "Attack the intruders!" she called. The zombies that she ordered did nothing but stand behind Leoj. She gasped and looked around the hundred walking corpses around her. "I said attack! Obey your Queen and kill them!" she demanded, stomping her hoof. Leoj smirked and flipped his hair out of his face.

"It seems they aren't to keen to having their minds controlled, Chrisie." He snipped. "My friends, I give you your entertainment," he said, pulling his blade out of her neck and returning it to its scabbard. "An immortal being that you can take your aggression out on." He walked toward Eric, who was pulling the last Pegasus out. "Attack her," he said as he cleared the snarling mob.

The zombies lunged forward, only to impact the dirt as Chrysalis flew above them. "You bastard!" she screamed from the air. "I will make sure you rue this day!" those were the last words she said before flying into a tunnel. The zombies began to turn around, finding a fresh meal in Eric, Leoj and the pony. They stalked forward, slime dripping from their mouths and screeched heavy in the air.

"And there is the draw back to sugar," Leoj said, touching the radio button on his glasses. "Blue. If you would, please." He lowered his hand as an explosion broke the ceiling. Boulders and trees crashed into the cave, crushing and covering the horde. When the dust settled, the pile of rubble created a mound that they could climb. Four ponies and Mat stood beside Sapphire at the top.

Eric was lifted out of the hole by the Pegasus, who landed in the group and shook. "I never though I was going to get out of there," the pony said as he looked at Eric. "Thanks Sword." Eric recognized the voice.

"Bolt leader?" he asked, getting a nod. The pony held out a hoof.

"I'm Soarin," he said shaking Eric's hand. "Bout time we met up. I want to say, I have never seen anypony fight like you did at Ponyville." He let go of Eric's hand. "On the way out of the area I hit turbulence, getting knocked out of the sky. I woke up later in that darn cocoon." Leoj walked out from behind a tree, putting away his watch.

"That's all well and good," he said. "But we need to get out of here. The teleportation network station is based in the library here." He started walking toward town. "I suggest we get there before night and the castle walls close. I doubt Celestia would be happy if we had to wait until morning in her throne room."

Eric led Fluttershy through the hospital halls. "She was absolutely distraught she had forgotten to get you out when they evacuated," he explained as they approached Dash's room. "I told her you would see her first, but I need to know. How did you get captured?" Fluttershy lowered her head.

"I… um. I'm not sure. I was trying to get Angel to evacuate… but then I got hit on the head." She explained in a barely audible voice. "The next thing I knew, you were telling me to get out of that dark cave." She shuddered at the memory. "Can we, I mean if it's ok. Can we not talk about it? It was too scary." Eric nodded and opened the door. Fluttershy floated in.

"Fluttershy!" Dash yelled before tackling the yellow Pegasus. "I'm so sorry!" she yelled, crying again. "I should have come and got you, but I got so excited with the battle, and, and…" Fluttershy hugged the Cyan Pegasus as she cried into her shoulder. Eric walked by, opening the locker he had put his bag in and taking it out. He set the bag down on the table and returned the equipment he had removed, save for the swords. He felt something tug on his coat, turning out to be Dash.

Eric knelt and was almost knocked over by the rapid hug. She yelled her thanks, crying the whole while. He held her until she calmed down. He pulled away and looked at her. "Hey, what did I tell you?" he asked. "I promised I would get her back. I never break a promise." He said as he stood up.

"Thank you so much," Dash said, sniffling and wiping the tears from her face. "I never though I would see her again." She sat down as Eric pulled out his glasses. They were making a beeping noise. He put them on and leaned on the table.

"What's here?" he asked no one. There was muffled chatter coming from his earpeice, causing Dash and Fluttershy to look at each other confused. "If they aren't hostile then what do they want?" a few seconds of silence. "Alright. I'll do the security detail. You guys get some rest." He took off the glasses and ran a hand over his face. "Looks like I got things to do again." He said, pulling several odd shaped pieces of metal from the bag.

"Well… what's going on?" Dash asked as he opened a large, rectangle like box, sliding a bar of metal and a few springs into it before closing a hatch. Eric shrugged as he screwed a long pipe to the box.

"Apparently," he began, adding a handle to the bottom of the box. "The ruler of Night Forge is here to negotiate a pact." He pulled another closed box out of the bag, opening it and taking a long cylinder with flared ends. He slid it along a rail on top. "I am supposed to oversee he negotiations, and if she tries to attack the princesses…" He trailed off as he lifted the completed rifle by the handle, loading a magazine into the block and pulling the action for effect. "She will be taking a dirt nap." He rested the barrel on his shoulder before putting four more magazines into his pockets.

"Eric," Dash called before he closed the door. She fiddled a moment, pawing the tile with her hoof. "Would you come back when you're free tonight?" he raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm really bored and I want someone to talk to before I go to bed. And you have a lot of cool stuff to talk about." Eric raised his eyebrow further, making her blush from embarrassment.

"Sure, I'll stop by before I go back to the motel," he said, not completely buying her request. She was too nervous to just want to talk before bed. Dash smiled and waved as he closed the door. Fluttershy looked over at her, smiling.

"He's really nice," she said before sitting in a chair. Dash sat down into her wheel chair, mulling something over in her head.

"Yeah," she said, sighing afterwards. "He's twenty percent cooler than anything ever." Fluttershy giggled as she got Dash's meaning.

Eric walked down the hall, putting on his glasses and setting them to do a scan of the city. He needed a clear shot at the west tower from a good distance so he wouldn't be spotted. The ponies watched as he walked by, aware now that the device he carried was lethal. He exited the hospital, following the map on his display into the setting sun. Leoj walked out of a door, striding along side him. "What do you want kid?" he asked, trying not to sound snippy.

Leoj continued to walk with Eric. They walked for around five minutes before Eric stopped, turning to face the teenager. Leoj held up his hands. "I'm sorry," he said defensively. "I just thought I had already said what I was going to." Eric rolled his eyes after his lifted his glasses to his forehead, already used to Leoj's strange ways. "I need to inform you that I will be giving close guard to the monarchs," he explained. "I don't trust this being fully and think there should be more than just an over-watch."

Eric turned to the ladder he was beside, jumping up a few rungs before looking back down. "You might want more than just that toothpick you carry." He said down to Leoj. "I left the rest of my gear in RD's room before I came out here." Leoj pulled a pistol out from behind his waist. It was a Webley revolver plated with copper. The chamber looked like an extended gear. "What is with you and clocks man?" Eric asked before continuing to climb the ladder with one hand.

Eric reached the top of the eight story building, setting the rifle down before pulling himself over the edge. The map was right. There was a clear shot anywhere on the north face of the castle. "Damn good glasses, kid," Eric mumbled as he set up the bipod to his rifle and laid down. He found the west tower through his scope. The wind was moving east at five miles per hour, so he made the proper adjustments.

Leoj appeared in the window Eric was looking into. He was holding a sign that said 'Glasses on. I'm transmitting sonar imaging to you.' Eric dropped the glasses as Leoj disappeared. The view changed instantly, showing where his round would land and where everything was. There were three Alicorns in the room with two unicorns and two Pegasi. Leoj appeared to be in the corner.

The Princess, Dark Fusion she said, was blabbering on about how they should unite under one flag. Apparently the Nightmare Unicorns city of Night Forge was attacked by the undead. Leoj wasn't sure how much time had transpired since the discussion had began, but suddenly both of the equestrian monarchs were quite upset. Celestia had stood and was yelling at Dark Fusion. He didn't care what they were arguing about, as long as the discussion didn't become too heated he was fine to sit and wait out their tantrum. He wished he could have been elsewhere. 'That's what I get for offering my help in another species' conflicts' he though with a muted sigh. The conversation had calmed down considerably, every princess where they should be. Leoj stayed in his position for a few more minutes until a human barged into the room. He opened his watch, stepping into a rift. He appeared behind the human, raising the Webley .38 to the back of their head.

"Leoj, what the hell," Eric said over the radio. "I lost my damn visual when you did that." Leoj held the revolver closer thee the boys head. Pressing a button on his glasses to send a new sonar feed. "Thank you," Eric said in a monotone. Leoj returned his attention to the male human that had walked in.

"Who are you," he said in a calm voice. "And why are you here?" the kid in front of him raised his hands. The Nightmare princess stood up.

"You leave Najmi alone you ruffian!" she yelled. Leoj pulled his pistol back, releasing the hammer before returning it to the holster in his cloak.

"As you wish," he said with a bow before returning to his seat. Night was beginning to fall and Eric was getting tweaked he had been called for no real threat. He sighed and mumbled as he remained ready to fire through the stone walls. He mumbled and muttered curses off the microphone, condemning any human or pony involved with this trade of niceties and royal whatnot. His abs and lower back ached, his shoulders burned and his elbows were on fire from staying propped up for hours on end.

Finally the trio of princesses filed out of the room, having come to a decision. "About damn time," he muttered as the castle began to fill with the blue-gray sonar map. The image went dead as the group left the tower. Eric sighed and unloaded the fifty, slipping the round from the chamber back into the magazine. He picked up the weapon, standing and shoving it into Leoj's hands. "Take this down for me," he said walking to the ladder. "I don't feel like falling two times in a day." She swung himself over the ladder, sliding down the side railing.

"I don't see why you are so upset," Leoj said. "Today went rather well." Eric cast a glance back at the man that looked no older than sixteen. "Well, other than you having to crawl for over five miles to rescue several ponies that is." Eric cast him another glare that could have melted steel. "And getting thrown into a pond. But really, when was the last time you had an easier day?" Eric snapped then, punching Leoj in the jaw and throwing the scope-less rifle aside.

He grabbed the immortal by the collar of his vest, slamming him into a wall. He stripped the man of his pistol and sword; also throwing his watch aside so he couldn't escape. "You listen to me, kid." He growled, tired of the boys pep. "I had an extremely easy and plush life before all of this. I was a bio-mechanical engineer. I had my own lab and signed grants for grad students that studied under me. I developed personal systems for single human flight, and unknowingly helped destroy Earth. So don't talk to me about having an easy day. No day is easy as long as I remember that horrid fact. _I_ created my own races destruction." He let Leoj go, tossing him aside before picking up his rifle and walking back to the hospital to get the rest of his things.

"You think I don't already know this, Eric?" Leoj yelled across the street. Eric stopped and looked back over his shoulder at the bleeding immortal. "I have watched you from your own birth before I joined this little group. You have accomplished many wonderful things," Leoj stopped to giggle insanely and spit blood out of his mouth. "That incident is just a small stain on the corner of your list of achievements, Eric. And it can be removed with proper care. Spent the week having fun. Forget about the virus! You've earned your furlough." Eric walked through the gathered ponies and entered the gates to the hospital. Leoj's mad laugh fading behind him.

"oh, Sir Johnson," the reception nurse said as he walked in. She eyed the massive rifle he carried cautiously. "are you here to see Rainbow Dash again?" she asked, getting a shrug.

"Sort of," he mumbled. "She wanted to talk before I head back to the motel. I really came to get the rest of these." He said, tapping the rifle in his right hand. The nurse nodded confusedly.

"You know, the doctor cleared her to go home with somepony, but not out of Canterlot." She said. "He is worried if she gets to antsy she might break out of the splint too early." Eric raised an eye brow.

"I have the week off, so I guess I could baby-sit," he chuckled, getting a smile out of the nurse. She slid a piece of paper and a pen over the counter.

"Just write in where you will be staying so we can reach you." She instructed as Eric filled out the form. "And sign you name…" Eric did that too. "All done," she said, taking the paper from him and running it through a machine. "She's all your, sir." He thanked her and walked off toward the patient's room. Eric reached It and knocked on the door. Rainbow Dash answered it with a smile. "Hey kid." He said before grabbing the rifle by the barrel. "Mind if I come in?" he asked.

"Sure thing," she said, seeming less energetic than usual. Eric walked in and laid the weapon on the table, depositing the magazines he carried into the bag.

"What's up, RD?" he asked, beginning to take the rifle apart. "You sound troubled." He added, placing the handle and barrel in their place. Dash shrugged, wincing as her injured wing moved.

"No," she said. "Nothing wrong." she climbed onto the bed, sitting on the edge. "So how did the security thing go?" she asked. Eric made a so-so motion with his hand.

"Nothing happened, if that's what you want to know." He said, placing the rifle stock in the bag and zipping it up. "The Princesses and the Nightmare Princess agreed that if Night Forge came under attack, they would send help and vice versa." He leaned back on the table, resting on the balls of his hands and stretching his knotted muscles.

"Are you ok?" she asked, noticing how Eric winced and rubbed his back. He waved a hand in the air.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he grunted as a knot became tighter. "Just all the belly work today had my back in bunches." He reached behind and massaged the knot that was hurting. He stood up and lifted the bag onto his shoulder. "Grab your things," he said. "Doc cleared you to walk around Canterlot about an hour ago. I signed you out." he walked to the door and opened it. "You'll be staying with me for the week." Dash beamed at the offer, running over to the locker and taking the bag with the items she arrived in.

Keith carried her bag out of the hospital. "So how do I get a sweet set of shades like yours?" she asked. Eric reached into his coat to let her try on his, but instead found another pair with Leoj's stationary on them. The letter read.

'_You may not believe me, but I am sorry. Your rage is understandable, but it will destroy you if it remains unchecked. You really should have fun. Make some friends. Find someone or somepony to confide all your secrets too. You're going to be here for a long time._

_ Sincerely, Leoj Clocktum._

_P.S. These glasses are for your new friend. I though she might want some.'_

Eric laughed to himself before returning the letter to his pocket. He pulled out the glasses, handing them over to her. "Like this," he said, answering her question as he slipped them onto her face. She stopped walking before the lenses activated. She saw Eric crouching in front of her giving her a thumbs up. Dash grinned when the map came up and the night vision systems came alive.

"Oh my… EEEEEE!" she bounced on the cobblestones, screaming like a fan girl as the night light up. She looked up at the sky, all the stars being labeled and the moon being magnified. "Wow, this has to be the best gift I have ever got in my life!" She hugged Eric tightly. "Thanks," she said before letting go. He didn't know why, but the sight made his cheeks warm.

Eric stood up and put on his glasses, activating a two way link. "You wanna know what these thing can do?" he asked over the radio. Dash nodded as they walked toward the motel. The entire trip, Eric talked with her about the systems built into the glasses. She found the sonar imaging very interesting, her lenses a gray blue most times he looked over at her. Leoj and Soaring walked by on the other side of the street, waving at them. Dash and Eric waved back. Leoj kept his arm over Soarin's shoulder. "Never would have taken Leoj for the type," Eric mentioned.

"And I always thought Soarin was straight too." She said, Lifting the glasses from her face and onto her mane. "I had a huge crush on him a year ago. Good thing I find out now, huh?" she asked. Eric laughed, imagining the scene of Soarin coming out to her at dinner.

"I would have paid to see it though," she joked, punching her on her uninjured shoulder lightly. They walked in silence until they reached the inn. "You old enough to drink?" he asked as they walked in to boisterous atmosphere. Making their way to the bar.

"Yeah," she said as Eric leaned over the counter. He waved to the colt, finding the same one from this morning.

"Hey, Fizz," he said to the colt as he walked over. The colt looked at Dash, eyeing her before returning his attention to Eric.

"She staying for the night or do you need another room?" he asked before handing him a bottle of beer. Eric handed the bottle back before looked back at her.

"Maybe, set her up, I'm buying." He said. The bartender took her order before pulling a mug off the shelf with magic. "So," Eric said to Dash as Fizz filled the pint stein from the tap before retrieving another one. "You want your own bed or do you mind sharing?" Fizz set two steins and two shots of what looked like bourbon on the counter, again refusing payment from the savior of Ponyville.

Dash shrugged, adding the shot to the stein for her boilermaker. "I don't mind if you don't," she said with a wink as Eric followed her example. He raised an eyebrow and chugged half of the drink. it tasted bitter, a sweet aftertaste and the burn of weak whiskey.

"You trying to make a move on me?" Eric asked as she licked the foam from her lips. She giggled and set the mug down, leaning on the edge of the counter.

"Are you?" she shot back. "I said I don't mind sharing a bed is all." Eric chuckled as he drank some more of the beer. She could play the game.

"Well, I don't know," he said, holding the mug and motioning around. "I never had a taste for ponies, but I'm always open for…" he raised the mug to his lips. "New experiences." He finished suggestively before taking another drink. Dash nodded, drinking hers down to half.

"Well, I have to say," she added. "A Knight of Equestria would be quite an accomplishment for little old me," she downed the remainder of her drink, waving off the barkeep's offer to refill it. Eric repeated her action, popping his neck.

"Well, even if you were," he said, rotating his shoulders. "I'm a little sore from all the belly work today." He picked up the bags and held up his keys. "Five miles of low crawling and two hours of lying still to make sure the monarchy stands tall takes it out of your back." They made small talk for a few more hours before climbing the stairs to Eric's room.

Upon entering the room, Dash ran over to the king bed, throwing her self over it. Eric set the bags down in the closet, tossing his coat onto the rack and taking his belted equipment off. He peeled out of his shirt, sitting on the bed beside Rainbow Dash. He rotated his shoulders and neck, trying to throw the kinks out. a spike of heat ran up his back as something caught and immobilized him. he grunted and clenched his eyes shut, reaching back and holding his lower back.

Dash looked up at him, noticing the pain. "You gonna be ok?" she asked, wiggling across the blanket and looking at his back. She had seen this in the Weather Patrol several times. Eric shook his head.

"I'm fine," he said, relaxing and massaging his back. "Like I said, seven hours doing work on your stomach tears up your back. I'll make it," he said, bending to stretch the muscles. Dash looked at him worried. This could be crippling if it wasn't taken care of, and she hoped that it was the same thing she had seen.

"Lay down," she said. Eric looked at her questioningly. "I've seen this happen before, and I think I can help." She stood up on the mattress and motioned with a hoof. "Lay down on your stomach and I'll try to get the knots out."

Eric was skeptical that she could, but he did as she said. Anything was better than spending his week off in pain. "I'm going to hold you to it, RD." he said, lying down. Dash sat down on his legs, running her hooves down both sides of his spine. The muscles were bunched deep, like he had pulled them over and over for years. She started at the base of his spine, kneading the knots she felt as she worked her way up.

Eric sighed as the pain started to recede, dulling as Dash continued to loosen his back. "Damn, RD." he sighed. "Where in the world did you learn to do that?" Dash giggled as she continued to massage his back, thoroughly enjoying herself.

"When you lead the Weather Patrol, you see this a lot." She explained. "Some ponies take the day off to go and have a professional take care of it, but a few workers want to get back out as soon as they can." She continued to work up his back, now rubbing circles into a knot in his shoulders. "I took a class at the Ponyville spa to learn how to treat these kinds of things." Eric chuckled.

"Maybe you should choose a different career path," he said. "This is the best massage I have ever had." He began to melt under her hooves, drifting in the pleasure of disappearing pain. Rainbow Dash smiled as he let out a continued stream of sighs each time she changed her hoof position. She had him right where she wanted him.

"Well, Ponyville had a spa," she said, running her hooves up and down his neck and shoulders. "But I think a dragon fell on it. And I doubt I'm good enough to get into a Canterlot massage parlor." Eric opened his eye and looked back at her.

"Hey, not my fault." He said, laughing softly. He closed his eyes again. "Sapphire took that nasty down, yell at her." Dash chuckled as she leaned forward, running her hooves across his arms and deltoids.

"I doubt they even know yet," she said in a quieter tone. "Besides, who's yelling?" she drew her head back as Eric looked up at her. She had a soft look about her face, but her eyes remained sharp and clear. They had an interesting color too. The magenta complementing her coat perfectly.

"What are you after?" he asked, rolling over and grasping her forelegs with his hands. "What do you want?" he specified in a softer voice. Dash's surprise left when she felt his voice vibrate deep in her body. The depth of it seemed to carry for miles in her mind. She felt her blood rise as she blushed. Eric chuckled to himself as she did, it was cute.

"No fair," she said as her heart beat faster. Eric smirked and let her go, catching her under the chin with a finger. He held it there before letting her go.

"All is fair in love and war, Dash." He pointed out, causing her to blush more. "So which is it?" he asked, running two fingers along her good wing and eliciting a shiver from the mare. Her face might have looked painted to anyone who didn't know better. Eric did it again, this time following a line of feathers.

"Quit teasing me," she moaned as he pinched the tip of the wing. She looked away as he continued his game. Eric huffed and hooked a hand around her face, pulling it toward him.

"I thought this was foreplay," he said before kissing her.

**O/O oh my…**

**Well then, ~cough~, what do you think? A good chapter? I tried to keep it shorter, but I just got carried away. HEHE! /)^3^(\**

**Please R&R.**

**Leoj Clocktum - used with permission of Timefather64**

**Mat and Sapphire - used with permission of Bahamut Crisis Core**

**Night Forge, Nightmare Unicorns, Princess Dark Fusion, and Najmi - used with permission of Najee**


	6. Chapter 6

**Warning: This chapter contains use of drugs. Not intended for viewers under the age of 16.**

**Warning: Lemon. It's sour, so get lost if ya don't like it. :P**

**DISCLAIMER! RUN AWAY!**

Eric was lying on the bed, a pencil in one hand and a notepad in the other. He was sketching something out as Dash slept. She had passed out after the activities of the night, now soundly seated in a dream. Eric would never have thought it would happen, but he had found another love in his life. He finished an equation in the margin of his sketch, setting the pad and pencil down on the night stand. He looked down at the blue Pegasus as she slept. For once since he had met her, she seemed peaceful and satisfied. This brought a smile to his face as she nuzzled against his chest.

He didn't want to wake her, in fact he didn't want to move all day. But he had made some plans to stop at the contractors office and then talk with the monarchs about getting a grant to do some science work. Eric placed a hand on her neck, moving a strand of hair off of her face. "Rainbow," he whispered. "Oh Dashie," he said in a singsong voice. She mumbled something and held him tighter. Eric chuckled as she tried to ignore him. "Come on Dash, we have things to do," he poked her in the side, getting her to twitch.

"Wha?" she said as he poked her again. "No, five more minutes mom," Eric stifled a laugh. He had not expected that. He stroked her cheek and neck, continuing to urge her to get up. She finally lifted her head when he began playing with her wing. "Mmm, what do you want this time?" she asked in a half asleep tone. Eric chuckled and tugged on her wing more.

"While this is nice and all," he said, letting the feathered limb fall onto the bed with a muted thump. "I have some things to do around town. And you have to take your medication, my blue friend." She sighed in an exasperated tone. Laying her head back on his chest and listening to his heart beat.

"You aren't going anywhere just yet," she said, letting her breath creep into her voice. "You are all mine until noon." She cuddled closer, rubbing her nose against his neck. "That was great last night." She moaned as he began to stroke her spine with the tips of his fingers.

"The contractors office closes at ten, Dashie," he pointed out. "And if I don't hurry, I will miss my appointment with Celestia." She gave him a questioning look.

"Why do you want to go to the contractors office?" she asked. They were mostly off fixing the damage to Ponyville. Eric shrugged, now playing with the edge of Dash's ear.

"Because rent isn't going to stay this cheap," he stated bluntly. "And I would like to have a more private place if you're always that loud." He added with a wink, causing her to blush. He had gotten a call from Fizz early in the morning, telling him that he might want to try and keep his marefreind stifled next time. Dash sighed and let him get up. "Thank you," he said, kissing her before he climbed out of bed and pulled on his pants.

He put on a dark green shirt that clung to his form, making Dash bite her lip. As he picked up the equipment belt, she raised an eyebrow. "Why do you always take those with you?" she asked as he ran the belt through a few of the loops to hold it in place. He shrugged and looked at her.

"I dunno," he surrendered. "I guess it's a habit I picked up. having to fight for your life daily does that to a man." He lifted the trench coat from the rack and put it on, finding it still held the swords in it. Dash slid out of bed, sauntering over and pulling him down to her level.

"You have the week off," she said, closing some of the clasps on his coat so it stopped wobbling. "You don't have to go out armed everywhere either," she also pointed out, pulling the swords from his coat and leaning them on a wall. Eric felt the scabbards fall out of the coat after a minute or two. He handed them to her, feeling slightly naked without his favorite weapons. "Go and do what you were going to do." She said, hugging him. "I'll be here when you get back."

Eric sat in the conference room with Leoj and Celestia. Apparently their little encounter in the streets had made it onto the local news papers. She had chewed them both a new one for acting so childish, and was now ranting. "I mean really!" Celestia yelled at them. "You are both old enough to know better! Especially you Leoj." She cast him a glare that made him flinch. "Any you!" she yelled changing her target to Eric. "How did you not know about this?" she tossed him several newspapers. "It's on the Canterlot News Network, in the Equestrian, on the front page of Underhoof News. Do you not watch television?" she asked as he picked up the paper. The front page showed Eric and Leoj in the street, Eric holding the smaller one by his collar above him.

"No ma'am," he confessed as he read. "Television drops your intelligence quotient by five points for every half hour you watch it." She scoffed and sat back at the head of the table, massaging her temples. The headline was, 'Freedom Fighters, or Rabble Rousers?' Eric tossed the paper back on the table. "Your highness, We are human males. Or at least I am. We're like bulls. We butt heads some times, but for the most part we leave each other alone." She scoffed again, not believing his story. "Some times we just need to let off steam, and fighting is how we do this. We throw a few punches, hug it up and have a drink together. Its standard practice for us. Status queue."

"What do you expect from me?" she asked, dropping her hooves on the table. "Do want me to turn a blind eye to your fights like I do you bunch eating flesh?" she asked, glaring at Eric. "And I know about you giving Rainbow Dash some too, so don't play dumb you ape." She shook her head. "You two seem to want to break every rule and law we have, and expect no negative repercussions!" she stormed off to the window on the wall, watching the goings on below.

"I have a suggestion, princess." Leoj spoke up. "Seeing as how humans are less harmonious than you ponies, and they do need to fight out certain issues before they can go about their business." The princess looked at him, ready for another outlandish request. "Boxing, Kick boxing to be exact. Start a club in the fitness clubs. Yes, it is violent. But there are rules and regulations. It is a sport first and foremost. And it could teach the mass population to defend themselves should the need arise." She princess looked back out the window, contemplating this.

"Very well, Leoj." She said much to their dismay. "You have both proven your need for physical release, and I would rather it be monitored in a ring rather than on the streets where the tabloids can grab for it." She returned to her seat. "This could also bring in revenue for the city, boosting local business and citizen morale." She made a note on a scroll. "Leoj, you may leave unless you have any other things to say." He stood up and bowed, walking out through a wall. She looked at Eric now. "As I understand it, you are an adept scientist as well as an acclaimed fighter." He nodded. "You have put in for a study grant, on what basis."

"During the battle of Ponyville," he stated, making his argument. "I had to remove my protective clothing because it fit loose on my body, providing the enemy with holds and the like." She nodded. "The grant I'm asking for is to develop a type of specialized armor for the strike team. It will give enhanced strength and reflexes and, if I can get the right chemicals, will be fully self contained. It would drastically improve combat effectiveness and decrease injury rate." He finished, sliding the notepad with his designs and equations to her. Celestia looked them over, noting the math and physics involved. She nodded.

"Aright," she said, passing him back his notes. "you have the grant of two million bits a year." She wrote a letter and sent it with magic. "Do you need a build team to help you?" she asked, receiving a negative. "Very well. I have also been alerted to your request for a house outside the city on a mountain side." She added. Eric shrugged.

"If I am to not go home again, I would like my own home to go to at the end of the day." He explained. It was a simple request, but the contractor said he had to run it through the royalty since his primary concern was repairing Ponyville. The princess nodded and stamped the request, sending it off with a priority assignment.

"You shall have it within the week," she allowed. "I must say the designs are quite interesting." She held his blueprints before her. "The main area of focus is underground, set into the stone like a bunker." He nodded. "And the living area is operated by an 'Artificial Intelligence', correct?" she asked. Eric nodded.

"It is based of a design I had made for a friend on earth," he explained. "He wanted a house that could do everything a human could, short of breath and make an income. The under story is my own addition." The princess nodded, receiving a letter via magic.

"it seems your work area has been set up near the Academy." She said, standing and motioning him to follow her. "it will be watched around the clock by the Royal Guard and only those you deem fit will be allowed to enter." They walked through the castle halls, toward the exit. "and Eric," she said as he walked out the doors. "Congratulations on you relationship." He blushed from the compliment. Was Dash really that sought after?

Eric walked toward the lab, thinking of what he was going to work on first. The power source was the most important, but her had to gain access to the raw elements to make it work. He entered the building, sending a guard to fetch Dash and Mat from their respective locations. As the elevator descended he heard a breath behind him. "Hello, Leoj," he said, no longer surprised by his antics. The immortal teenager stood next to him as the lift stopped.

"A suit of armor, eh?" he asked as they entered the lab area. It looked more like a high tech forge than a place of science. "I must say, it would come in handy for those of us who aren't altered like Mat of Sapphire." Eric rolled his eyes. That was the driving idea.

"Yes, that was my plan. Do you want one?" he asked, the lift going back to the ground level. Leoj shook his head.

"No, I doubt I shall need one." He thanked him and made his excuses before vanishing into a wall as usual. Eric set his backpack on a desk, searching the room for what he needed. He found raw metals and titanium wire in a few cabinets.

Hours passed before Dash and Mat descended into the lab. They walked out of the lift, laughing and talking. Eric stood on a platform wit ha high speed capture camera before him. "Ok, this is chemical compound four. I am testing the designs of the plasma repulsion systems now." He pushed a button on his glove, setting the bottoms of the steel boots he wore with sparks. The plasma that was being generated ate holes in the inch thick platform before lifting him from the ground. Dash and Mat backed away from the heat that filled the area as Eric lifted a foot from the platform. "Hot damn!" he shouted as the guidance thrusters kicked in to keep him still. The boots lost fuel and dropped him to the ground. Eric looked up before grabbing a note pad and writing down something.

"I never knew science could be so awesome!" Dash exclaimed as she ran up to the table filled with tools and beakers. Eric punched another button on his glove, causing the boots to open around his calves and the front to hinge down. He stepped out of them, walking up to the table. "What are you making?" Dash said, sniffing a bubbling liquid. Eric lifted the beaker and took a drink.

"This is an energy drink." he said as he handed it to Dash. "Blue Raspberry flavor." She drank some and shook her head.

"It tastes like burnt fruit," she commented, passing it back to him and running her tongue over her teeth. Eric shrugged and offered some to Mat. He shook his head.

"to answer your previous question," Eric said, lifting a torso shaped piece of metal. "I am building a battle suit for myself." She tossed it back down on the table, sliding his arm into a sleeve covered with wires and hydraulic hoses and springs. "It should make me almost as strong as Mat." He said. moving it around and making some adjustments to a pressure bolt. "All I need is a power source." He added as he laid it back on the table.

"Well, I might be able to help with that." Mat said, holding up a large case. "Leoj gave it to me. He said you might want this element. It causes the only stable fusion reaction in the universe out side of a solar event." He set it down and opened it, revealing several black reflective prisms. Eric's eyes shined when he saw them.

"Is this Devnium nine ten?" he asked, lifting two and holding them apart. Mat nodded. Eric became giddy with excitement. "Damn, kid. You got me pinned like a note, huh?" he said to no one. Eric typed in a few commands to the terminal near the CNC machine. "I created this virtual model incase I got my hands on some, but I was ready to use plasma instead." The mill went to work carving out the parts and assembling the reactor.

"Um, yeah," Dash said, lost. "What's plasma?" she asked. Eric lifted the sleeve again, connecting some metal plates to it and hooking it up to a generator. He attached four glass containers filled with vivid colored liquids.

"This," he said, bracing and pointing his arm toward a hanging piece of two inch steel. There was a loud bang before a bright red streak impacted the metal, setting it on fire. "That was plasma," he said, removing the empty canisters. "I was using a chemical reaction to get the effect, but it was not nearly stable as Devnium nine ten." The sheet of steel continued to burn and sputter sparks, molten slag streaming onto the floor. "It's effective, but not for everything I had in mind. Now I can add flight to the abilities." Dash looked at him with a grin.

"You could make it fly?" she said excited. Hope welling in her eyes. Eric nodded, getting a shout out of her.

"I had built a suit using Devnium for the US armed forces before the outbreak." He explained, a ding sounding from the assembly conveyor. "The suit wasn't sound enough for the process of flight though," he explained. Lifting the Devnium shards he had taken out and setting them in an open hatch. He closed the back of the chest piece. Tuning a dial, the piece began to shake and pop until a constant hum was heard. Lights on the armor segment light up. "Have either of you seen a small sun?" he asked, pointing to a screen.

The two walked over as Eric returned to the terminal. The screen showed a dimmed version of a sun, spinning slowly inside of its reactor. Dash exclaimed an awed sound while Eric set the CNC and assembly bots to create the remaining pieces of the suit. "Amazing, isn't it?" he asked before sliding his legs into a pair of leggings that looked like the sleeve. "That reaction will last forever if the containment isn't breached." He picked up the boots from their place before returning to the table. He opened them and removed a wide vector nozzle from the bottom, tossing it back behind him.

"What are you doing now?" Mat asked as he inserted an orb with a hole in it. Eric closed the boot, connecting hoses and metal piping to the boot and leggings. He stepped into the reengineered pieces, slipping on a shirt that matched the leggings before lifting the reactor housing and putting it on his back.

"Now that plasma is not needed," he said, putting on the sleeves and replacing a similar device with a wire cage and lens. "I don't have to use as many alloys. I can use straight titanium and tungsten parts to reduce weight and increase integrity. Also," he said, gasping as the reactor shook hard once, powering the remaining devices. "I no longer have to work on one part at a time." He lifted the pieces of gold hued metal and placed them on the legs, abdomen, back and arms of the suit. Once he finished, the suit looked like a steel him, albeit with out the muscle structure and scars. He jumped into the air, pressing a button in the back of his arm before another bang was heard. He had disappeared, a cloud of smoke in his place.

"Eric!" Dash shouted as she ran to where he once was. She looked around, damning her lack of ability to fly. "Eric!" she said, tears welling as she fell to her knees. He had been destroyed, the suit backfiring and vaporizing him before the reaction dissipated.

"What are you crying for?" he said as he levitated behind her. Dash turned around as he landed on the ground. She reared up and punched him in the face.

"You idiot!" she yelled before hugging him. "you scared me to death." He hugged her back, letting go before tapping a touch screen on his arm.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you. I forgot to add in the restraining commands on the thrust." He pointed back into a shadowed section of the room. "Luckily this place is huge," he joked. "A wall would have been painful at those speeds." Mat crossed his arms, observing the suit.

"Do you have an idea on how to guard your head and neck?" he asked, pointing at the blond man. "Those are vital, and I doubt they would survive a crash." Eric shrugged, the hydraulics hissing under the plates as he did.

"I need an interface system like the glasses we use, but it shouldn't be too hard." He said. Mat and Eric talked for hours about how best to have the computer control minor system. Eric already had an idea but he decided to let Mat talk. For a man that looked like a killing machine, he was surprisingly educated in computers and the like.

"I was thinking of developing a specific AI that could control the variable surfaces and monitor the thrust capabilities." Eric said. "It would only know those things and could monitor vital signs, radio, sonar, radar, weapons and things of that nature as secondary directives." Mat nodded in agreement before standing up.

"I concur," he said. "Well, it was fun. But I'm late for a date with a tree and a stringed instrument." He turned around and walked back to the lift, waving back over his shoulder. Eric sat in the chair, waiting on the CNC to finish the neck brace and helmet he had put in for. He wrote down equations and code for the AI as he waited, Dash now investigating the thin frame of steel the plasma had burned through. The machine dinged its notification as several bands of metal came rolling off the line. He walked over and attached them to the mechanics on his neck. They fit like a glove, rotating freely while remaining structurally impregnable.

"Well," he said, setting the note pad down and entering commands on the suits computer. "I'm done for the day." He took the net piece off, which had collapsed into one crescent shaped object. A boom arm came down from the ceiling as the legs began to scale down to the shins of the boots. The arm connected and separated the chest piece, lifting it over his head as he stepped out of the boots. Dash watched the whole process, impressed at how quickly it came off. Eric removed the gloves and typed in something on the terminal. "I want it painted black," he sang, laughing afterwards and the pieces of armor were lifted away towards a powder coat station.

"So what do you want to do for the rest of the day?" Dash asked as Eric put on his coat. "I have nothing but time until this darn wing heals," she said scowling at the gimpy limb. Eric laughed and held out a hand.

"How about we practice your dancing," he suggested, taking her hoof. "The Grand Galloping Gala is two weeks away, and as a Knight I am expected to be there." They began to move around the lab, laughing together as they awkwardly feigned dancing. "And I would never go with out my date," he said, planting a kiss on her. She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, holding him.

"I'm not much for fancy dances," she said, looking him in the face. "The last Gala I went to was a complete disaster." She said as Eric let her go. "Although it was kind of me and the girls' fault." She said, laughing at the memories. They climbed into the elevator, heading up into the sun.

the walked out of the town, disobeying the doctors orders. Eric had offered to show her where he was going to have the house built, pointing to the mountain top between Cloudsdale, Canterlot and Ponyville. "I'm having it put up there so you almost _have_ to be a Pegasus to reach it," he said. looking at her as they sat on a grassy hilltop. "And the view should be spectacular," he said, sighing and looking into the distance. He had never seen such a peaceful land on Earth. There was always either smog or signs of an age old war gone by. This land was pristine and calm, save for the zombies he hunted during his day job.

"I have a house outside Ponyville," Dash said. "It's huge, pillars and everything." She looked down. "But I've been thinking about moving away. Not many ponies come to visit and I hardly stay in it anyway. I usually don't even sleep there." she looked down at her hooves, fidgeting.

Eric looked at her, her mood having gone from happy and relaxed to depressed. "Why don't you stay in your house, Dashie?" he asked, moving a stray hair from her brow. She shrugged.

"When I had it made, I was in a relationship." She said, remembering the white colt's face. "Everything was perfect, and it looked like we were going to get married," she stopped, scratching at the ground. "but then I caught him cheating on me with another mare, and in my own bed to top it off." She huffed and wiped away the face she had drawn without thinking. "So yeah, though it's nice, it's also empty and kinda depressing."

Eric gave a wan smile as she laid her head on her front hooves. "Come here," he said, pulling her closer and holding her in his arm. "If you're so set on it," he said, poking her in the side and making her laugh. "I guess I could share the house." He said smiling at her. She giggled and leaned against his chest as the sun started to go down.

"I'd like that," she said as he held her. "I'd like that a lot." They stayed there until the sun was on the horizon, sharing the silence. They got up when the bells of the castle sounded, signaling everypony inside. They walked in past Sapphire and Mat, who were perched on the walls. Mat was playing a violin softly as Sapphire leaned on his shoulder. Eric waved to him, and mat nodded back. On the way through town, Eric heard the thump of bass at the Darkhorse club picking up. he wasn't much for them, but he did enjoy a good light show from the catwalk sometimes.

"Hey, Dashie," he said as they neared the club. She looked up at him, following where he was pointing. "Want to go in?" he asked. "I'm not all that tired and I think we should have some fun, after all," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "You deserve some fun after I nearly scared you to death at the lab." She giggles and nodded.

"A drink and some fun sounds good." she said as they walked down Mane Street. There was a brown earth pony handing flyers out in front of the club.

"Open mic night!" she yelled, giving out flyers as ponies passed by. "Open mic night! Step up to the stage and strut your stuff! All customers welcome to try their hoof at the stage!" Eric and Dash walked up and took a flyer each. "Hey, I know you!" the pony said, shaking Dash's hoof. "You're the mare that drummed for Keith at Metal Mania a few years ago." Dash smiled that somepony remembered the night. "You should definitely get on the skins again, I haven't heard drums that epic since Steel Shod played through a year ago."

Eric looked at the flyer. The open positions were bass, drums, vocals and rhythm guitar. Apparently Keith was doing the lead for all played songs. He thought about his teenage years in the garage band he played. He had sang and played the rhythm guitar. "Aren't you Eric?" the earth pony asked, shaking his hand. "Thanks for getting my marefriend out of that cave yesterday," she said as he let go. "You want to take the stage too?" she asked. Eric nodded. "What do you play?" she asked.

"A little guitar, but singing is my forte." He said, remembering the covers he played with his bros. "I'd love to give it a try again," he said with a smile. "How good is Keith, by the way?" he asked. Dash and the pony looked at him in disbelief.

"You've never heard him when he filled in for Steel Shod?" Dash asked. Eric raised his hands, not knowing who they were. "They are just like Earth's Metallica," she explained. Eric nodded his understanding. It seemed that Celestia must have told every pony about earth and humans over the TV.

"Does Equestria have an equivalent to Five Finger Death Punch?" he asked, letting Dash think.

"Not until Keith played their music during Metal Mania last year." She said. "He played a song called Dying Breed, and he took it from there. Between tours with Steel Shod he plays solo at the clubs near Ponyville, Baltimare and Canterlot. Usually hosting an open mic to find members for the next tour." She looked at him questioningly. "Why do you want to know?" she asked.

"I was in a FFDP cover band when I was younger," he said. "I want to have fun though mostly." He said as he walked toward the entrance. The bouncer let them through, lifting the rope. The strobes and show lasers were in full effect as the DJ from the last time he was there and Keith seemed to be battling it out on the stage. The unicorn was churning out drum and bass tracks while Keith was showing her up with his skills on the guitar. The crowd was going nuts and cheering him on. A pony pulled them to the side.

"Hey Eric!" the unicorn said over the music. "I want to thank you for getting me out of there! I'm Little Strife!" the pony held up a hoof and wobbled. He was obviously drunk off his hooves and wasn't himself. Eric shook his hoof. "Are you going to be up on the stage? It's open mic night and Keith is Kick tail at guitar." Eric looked over as a screech echoed through the club. Keith was pulling on the whammy bar, holding the highest chord possible. Two of the amps burst into flames, provoking a roar from the crowd as the DJ stepped back and bowed to him. She had just lost. "The stage is this way, it will get you to the roster to sign up for a battle or a song."

Eric thanked the pony and followed his directions, Dash following close behind. They reached another bouncer. "You want in? sign the roster. You'll be up next." Eric and Dash signed for a full song, Dash for a beat battle with Vinyl Scratch afterwards. The bouncer handed Eric a guitar and pick as Dash walked onto the stage to manic applause. She seemed to revel in the glory of recognition. The bouncer gave him a mic and let him through. "Go get 'em sir." He said as Eric passed by.

He pointed at Keith from back stage as he looked his direction. Eric held up a hand, making a fist. Keith nodded. Eric stepped out, putting the guitar strap around his neck. He lifted the mic to his lips. "Five finger," he growled into the microphone in his deepest voice. The crowd burst into cheers. "_**Five Finger!**_" he screamed gutturally into the mic, this time Dash let loose a drum beat. The crowd screamed "Death Punch!" Eric set the mic into its stand.

Keith called out the song to Dash and Eric, and Dash raised her sticks. She brought them down on the cymbals as Eric began to grind out a rhythm. Keith joined in with some squalling chords before Eric stepped up to the mic. In an impressive likeness to Ivan Moody of the named band, he began.

_Tossed into my mind, stirring the calm!_

_You splash me with beauty and then you pull me down!_

_Because you came from out of nowhere,_

_My glance turns to a stare,_

They returned to the instrumentals as the crowd flailed and stomped about_._

_Obsession rules me, I'm yours from the start!_

_I know that you see me, Our eyes interlock!_

_Because you came from out of nowhere,_

_My glance turns to a stare,_

_One minute here, and one minute there,_

_Don't know if I'll laugh or cry!_

_One minute here, and one minute there,_

_And then you wave goodbye!_

_Goodbye._

The process repeated, save for a few ponies that decided to stage dive.

_Sifting to the bottom, every day for two!_

_All energy funnels, all becomes you!_

_Because you came from out of nowhere,_

_My glance turns to a stare!_

_One minute here, and one minute there,_

_Don't know if I'll laugh or cry!_

_One minute here, and one minute there,_

_And then you wave goodbye!_

_One minute here, and one minute there,_

_And then **I wave goodbye!**_

_**Goodbye!**_

They played the outro as The white unicorn took the tables again. "Give it up Ponies!" She yelled into her mic. "Get your Bucking hooves in the air!" she said as Eric and Keith walked off stage towards the bar. Vinyl dropped a record onto the tables as Dash began their beat war. Keith and Eric sat at the bar, being passed two shots of what looked like Absinthe from two mares at the other end of the bar.

"Poor girls," Keith sad, elbowing Eric in the arm. "They have no idea you two are together, do they?" he asked, downing his shot and ordering more in a larger glass. Eric looked at him funny as he threw back his.

"I'm surprised you do," he said. "It only happened last night and now the whole fucking world seems to know." Keith laughed as he sipped from his glass of glowing green alcohol. "The hell is this stuff anyway?" Eric asked as the bartender handed him one too.

"Ambrosia," Keith said. Eric took a drink and felt his head spin. He wobbled in his seat from the sudden effect. "What you had before was actual Absinthe, chasing it with this floods your blood and gets you drunk face. Doesn't seem to do much for me anymore though," he said, laughing as Eric winced.

"You are one crazy son of a bitch, Keith," Eric said as he recognized the beat having changed to Deadmau5's Moar Ghosts 'n stuff. Dash walked up and leaned back against the bar, taking Eric's drink and staring down the two mares at the end of the bar. They snapped their view to each other and giggled, walking off to dance. Dash took a swig and handed the glass back.

"That was great!" she yelled. "I haven't had that much fun on the skins since Metal Mania the first time!" Keith downed the rest of his drink and god down from the stool.

"I'd love to stay and talk," he said. "But Twi is expecting my back at the castle." He waved as he walked toward the door. Dash, hooked a hoof under Eric's chin and turned his face to her. She kissed him, searching for entry with her tongue and quickly finding it.

"Lets go somewhere more private," she said into his ear and pointing to the catwalk above. Eric smiled and grabbed onto the skeletal support beam. Dash climbed onto his back as he began to climb up.

on the catwalk were several shadowed figures smoking in the dark. they were passing a joint around and held it out to Keith. The smoke rolling off of it smelled chemical, meaning it was spiced with PCP. He took it and passed by Dash, not letting her have it. "Hey!" she yelled as he handed it to a unicorn.

"Uh uh, you don't." he said, grabbing her as she made for the weed. "That roach will mess you up kid, it's laced." He said, making her calm down and understand he was looking out for her. A pony in a black suit and tie stopped in front of the two. "You have anything not spiced?" Eric asked. the pony reached into his saddle bags and took out a dropper bottle, an Eightball, and a bag of grass. "How much for the eight and the grass?" Eric asked.

"The ball's a C and the grass is twenty," the red pony held out a bag for him to put the money. Eric had done Cocaine as a kid, it wasn't a big thing when he did, but he wasn't going to let Dash have it. Eric gave the pony a hundred fifty bits and took the Ball and the bag, letting the pony keep the Acid. Eric handed Dash the bag of marijuana and a pipe from the table, opening the wrapper on the ball. He broke a bit off, tasting it. It was pure.

"Well I'll be damned," he muttered, breaking more off and lining it up. He considered letting her try it since it wasn't cut. "You want to do a line or two with me?" he asked as she held the lighter to the bowl, inhaling deeply. She coughed once, holding her breath and handing him the pipe.

"Sure," she said, keeping the smoke in until she was ready. Eric inhaled the smoke also, leaving enough room in his lungs to snort the coke. Dash had the straw in her hoof, waiting on Keith. He picked one up, holding his nostril closed around it. Dash exhaled her breath before inhaling the white powder with Eric, each taking half of the five inch line. She closed her eyes and held her head after dropping the straw and sitting back in a chair. "Arg, Dammit that fucking hurts!" she exclaimed before the stimulant numbed her sinuses. Eric rubbed his eye, that being what hurt before it took effect.

"No shit, kid," he grunted as the high set in. The room started spinning and the euphoria kicked into over drive. "But damn it's worth it." He looked at her. Her pupils were the size of saucers and she was staring at Eric. "You good, Dashie?" he said, waving a hand in front of her. She shook her head and snapped out of what ever was going on.

"Yeah, yeah I'm good." she said, sniffing. There was a trickle of blood running out of her left nostril. "But I'm never doing that again," she said. Eric nodded and gave the rest of the Eightball to somepony else, who happily took it. "I'm going to stick to weed and booze, I think." She muttered as she wiped the blood off on a napkin.

"Agreed," Eric said. "I've done that before and it wasn't nearly as concentrated as that." He held up the pipe and offered it to her. She happily obliged as he held the flame of the lighter to the bowl. She pulled on the smoke, filling her lungs to full capacity before letting him hit it. "This is nuts," he said before he hit off the pipe. "I've never seen anyone this open about drug use on earth." Dash nodded and waved a hoof.

"Celestia legalized everything but the synthetic stuff like horn dust and Methanphetamine." She exhaled, coughing a few times. "She figured that if it wasn't illegal, the black market would have one less thing to put on the streets. It's also regulated by age." She took another drag, pushing it away and waving a hoof. "Once a pony reaches twenty-one they can drink, do drugs and smoke tobacco." Eric exhaled the smoke feeling rather floaty. The princesses choice made sense to him, they did it nearly everywhere in Europe and the crime rates plummeted. He felt a pressure on his leg and looked. Dash was sitting on his lap, kissing at his neck. Eric pushed her head back off from him and kissed her stroking a wing. She moaned into his mouth, wrapping her tongue with his as they darted in and out of each others mouths.

Eric landed on the bed at the motel with Dash on top of him. She had made her request known at the club and he was all too happy to oblige her. When they came into the room, Eric had tossed his coat, shirt and belt into the corner before being tackled. She locked her lips onto his, tasting the alcohol on his tongue before biting his lip gently. She worked her way down his neck and chest, biting at the scars on his stomach. He twitched as she did, the nerves bringing up encounters.

She unclasped the button on his pants, lowering them to the floor and taking his piece in her mouth. She twirled her tongue over the shaft, bobbing her head. "Damn, where did you learn that?" Eric moaned as she nipped at the head. Dash took the length into her throat, swallowing. The muscle contractions were driving Eric to his peak fast. "D-Dash…" He stammered as she pulled back. "D-Dash, Slow-oh my god." she was lapping the length, begging like a dog for his load. "Shit," he muttered, twitching as he stared at the ceiling. Dash caught every drop, milking his shaft for more. "Sssstop!" he hissed through his teeth from the sensory overload, pulling back away from her. Dash flicked the tip with her tongue, giggling as he fell back on the bed.

She crawled up onto his chest, sliding across his chest and licking his ear slowly. "How was that?" she whispered as he panted. Dash giggled as he stammered. "Shut up," she mumbled before kissing him. Eric was moving without his brain now, still trying to figure out what had just happened. He had lifted her into his arms before laying her down on her back carefully, trying not to hurt her wing. She stuck her tongue out at him and winked. She placed a hoof on his head as he kissed her stomach. "Down boy," she joked, pushing slightly. He kissed her navel, causing her to giggle. "More…" he moved down farther, kissing her on her lips. "Right there," she moaned as he lapped between her folds.

She was soaking wet, his tongue and fingers finding there way in without hesitation. Eric took his time, lightly brushing the sensitive bud to cause her to squirm. "Oh, hurry up…" she groaned as he made a deep pass with his tongue. He slid it along her clit, making her yelp and moan, wriggling under his touch. He closed his lips around the bead, lapping the hardened flesh while he plunged his middle fingers into her folds. He could feel her walls clenching around his fingers, her bud pulsing with each lick. "E-Eric, I'm gonna cum!" she cried before the long awaited climax racked her body. She froze, her back arched and wings extended before she gasped for breath and fell back. She lay there panting, running her hooves through Eric's hair. He smirked, grazing her bud with his teeth. She yelped and bounced as he made his way back up.

"Feel better?" Eric asked, kissing her neck and ears. She moaned and melted under him. "I thought so," he said, nibbling on her jaw softly. She moved around under him, trying to get back on top. He blocked her every move, toying with her. She stopped moving and looked up into his eyes. "We aren't done yet," he said, kissing her passionately. She hummed into the kiss as she felt the head of his piece pressing against her folds.

"More," she whispered between kisses. He obeyed her command, pressing just enough to pass the lips. She squirmed under him more. "I said more, baby." She demanded, wrapping her back legs around his waist and pulling herself onto him. She sank all ten inches into her, wincing from the sudden pressure. She moaned as she felt his every move, his pulse now driving her insane. Eric wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up as he leaned back. She stayed there for a moment, breathing against his shoulder. she felt him move again, her clit brushing against him and sending a jolt through her body. "Please," she whined into his ear. "Take me please," he whispered.

Eric moved slowly, rotating his hips until he had almost pulled out. he moaned with each thrust, sighing into his ear with every pull. Eric began to pick up his pace slightly, finding she was mirroring his motions. She slammed down on him with every thrust, trying to take him deeper. She wanted more, she wanted harder, faster. She shifted her weight, pushing him back onto the mattress. "What part of 'Dash' do you not understand?" she asked, kissing him roughly.

Eric bucked his hips into her, increasing his speed as she began to thrust back. "That's more like it," she moaned as he continued to pick up speed. Eric sat up, touching her wing tip and causing her to whimper. "yes," she moaned. "There, yes!" Eric kissed her wing, nibbling at the feathers as Dash continued to bounce on his shaft. "Gods I'm so close!" she yelled, slamming against him faster. She was just on the edge, her release teasing her from just beyond her reach.

Eric was thrusting as fast as he could without sacrificing performance. Sex for him was a game that he was good at, and he knew it. He was pulling almost completely out before slamming back in, syncing his motions with the mare on top of him. He could feel his cum rise as she shouted her pleads to the gods. He was using all of his spare concentration to hold out until she finished. She seemed to be teetering on the edge, shuddering and panting with each thrust. All he wanted was to make her feel pleasure right now, he had to find a way to help her. He adjusted his position, his piece rasping against her hardened bud.

"Yes! Gods Yes! Oh! I'm Coming!" Dash screamed as she climaxed. Her wings extended toward the sky, her back arching and her breath catching in her throat. She tried to scream but all she could manage were staggered gasps. She could feel Eric's member throb as he loosed jet after jet of cum deep inside her. she cried out in ecstasy as she fell from her orgasm, falling limp on top of Eric as he panted.

Eric felt his heart hammering at a manic pace inside his chest and ears, his lover collapsed on top of him exhausted. He waited for his breathing to slow, feeling Dashed chest rise and fall. "That… Was… Great," she managed to gasp out. Eric let his arms fall from around her waist, landing on the bed with a thump. Dash sat up slightly, her wings having lost the strength to hold themselves up any longer. She kissed Eric softly before falling back down on his chest. They stayed there, entangled in each other., silence engulfing the room as their breathing slowed.

Eric could feel her heart and breathing slow as Rainbow Dash fell asleep on top of him. He tried to pull out but was stopped as Dash wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't pull out," she whispered. "It feels too good." Eric lifted his arms around her, holding her lust below her wings. She continued to fall from consciousness as Eric threw the blankets over them, kissing her on the cheek. "I love you, Eric." She whispered in her half dreams. She repeated the words over and over as he stroked her mane. Her words faded in his ears as he fell asleep, reappearing in his dreams.

He was standing in a meadow just outside of Ponyville in the late spring. Willow trees surrounded a peaceful glade, a still pond filled with lilypads in full bloom lay in the distance. He looked around, seeing rows of carved chairs filled with ponies and humans. There was Leoj, Mat, Sapphire, his son Liam and his mother and father. There was also Twilight, Keith, Applejack, Rarity, a large purple and green lizard, Soarin, Fluttershy, a pink pony with a very fluffed mane and tail, Princess Luna, The boy Leoj had stopped named Najmi, Princess Dark Fusion, and a swath of other ponies he hadn't met. There were four humans also he did not know. Princess Celestia was there, coming into view as he turned around. she talked without sound, Eric answering her in kind. And all the while he continued to hear the words Dash repeated in her dreams.

Leoj sat on the window of the Inn, just outside of Eric's room. The rain poured from the sky in a torrent of quarter size drops. He had the hood of his cloak up, staying as dry as he could in the sudden cloudburst. He looked up at the moon that showed through the clouds, a pensive look on his face. "Be it Prophecy of Farce, I cannot tell. This moment is not set in time." He looked over his shoulder, the room dark and silent as it had been for the past hour. "Your choices from this moment on decide the fate of Equestria, and the one you love. Make good with your conscience and this too, shall pass." He stood on the sill, looking into the road below. Two ponies walked in opposite directions, umbrellas balanced on their backs. "I am sorry that I cannot help you, but this is your own journey." He stepped off the bricks, passing through time as he reached the sidewalk below.

Hey bronies. I want to thank you all for reading this story six chapters in. Your advice and feedback have really helped me continue this restart farther than I expected I would. You are all awesome beyond belief.

**If you were wondering before, yes I was going to throw you all a lemon. But considering the way things were last chapter, (and by the fact that I was exhausted when I got to the point to put it in,) I decided to give you all a well deserved one. I worked hard on this, so DO NOT FAP! (go ahead if you want XD)**

**The song is From Out of Nowhere by Five Finger Death Punch (all rights reserved)**

**The armor suit, before you say anything, is not based off of Iron Man. Eric's suit uses thrusters, not repulsors. "But u sed!" I said nothing! Plasma Repulsion is used in specialized government satellites. It is also very unstable. The reactor core allows generators in the back of the boots and the chest piece to create vectored thrust.**

**Now, yes. The house is going to be a lot like what is shown in the Iron Man movies. No it will not have Jarvis. And before you say anything trollish. I FUCKING LIKE THAT HOUSE, DEAL! :D**

**Please R&R :)**

**Najmi, Princess Dark Fusion, and Night forge – used with permission of Najee.**

**Mat and Sapphire – used with permission of Bahamut Crisis Core**

**Leoj Clocktum and Little Strife – used with permission of Timefather64**


	7. Chapter 7

**MLP Property of Hasbro.**

Eric was standing behind the table in the lab. He had a beaker bubbling hydrogen, one fogging liquid nitrogen, and another that didn't seem to be doing anything. He had brought Rainbow Dash with him after Leoj handed him a flash drive with the OS for the glasses. He had the terminal analyzing the operating system and breaking it down into single functions. Dash had gotten bored and asked that he do something cool. When he pulled out chemicals and beakers, she just shook her head. "Hold on a moment," he had said. "I bet I can make science cool." She hadn't believed him.

Eric placed an inch wide rubber ball bearing in the liquid nitrogen, and was catching the hydrogen in a balloon. It was about a foot around now and still growing slowly. The one beaker that looked like water was just sitting there. "How is this supposed to be cool?" she asked as he picked up a pair of tongs and pulled the rubber ball from the nitrogen.

"Like this," he said, as he dropped the ball in his gloved palm. "Its rubber right? It should bounce." He threw it at the wall. The rubber shattered as easily as a thin piece of glass. Dash jumped up grinning.

"Wow!" she shouted. "So it froze in there?" she asked, about to put her hoof in the fogging liquid. Eric took the beaker from her reach, spilling a little on the table and freezing a blank piece of paper. "Woah," she said, putting her hoof back down. "So it's dangerous, right?" Dash asked. Eric nodded.

"A lot of science is dangerous," he said as he tied a string around the balloon, letting it rise to the end of its tether. "But also fascinating. This is what got me hooked on it." He said, tying a taped lighter on a stick and holding it to the balloon. The blue rubber melted as the hydrogen caught flame with a loud bang. The fireball rose before burning itself out. Dash gave him applause. "And now for the really dangerous part," he said, tossing a pony shaped gas mask to her and slipping the full face mask over his head.

Dash did the same, looking at him through the glass view port. Eric picked up the final beaker, carrying it with both hands to a cone shaped depression in a foot thick cube of metal. "What is that supposed to do?" she asked, looking at the yellow fluid he poured into the basin. Acrid smoke rose from the metal, lines being carved in the walls as the apparent acid settled in the center, eating a hole quickly.

"That," he said lowering the cube with a pulley system before he slid a glass bowl under it to catch the remnants before it ate through the floor. "Eats through almost everything but glass. It is called hydrochloric acid. It's what's in you gut, dissolves your food." He tossed the empty beaker into a trashcan, turning on an exhaust fan to take away the fumes. He walked back to the table as the terminal displayed several things.

Eric took his mask off and sat at the computer. "Well, well," he said, picking up a curved sheet of metal and a soldering iron. He pressed the glowing piece of metal against several things, a wisp of smoke rising from the surface before dissolving in the air. "It looks like this should be quicker than I thought," he said. "All I have to do is connect the suit's onboard computer to the terminal and it should piece together an Artificial Intelligence."

"What is that," she asked, taking off her mask and looking at the screen before following a cord from the computer to Eric's glasses. Eric set the iron down beside the piece of metal.

"It is," he stopped, trying to dull down the description. Dash was smart, but not that into large words. "It's a computer system that can watch over things like a pony or human. The system in this case, will control the shifting surfaces on the suit so I can fly more controlled. It should keep the incident from yesterday from happening again." He picked up the curved sheet of metal, placing a pane of glass over it. He then picked up another piece of metal and fastened them together. It made a helmet, but without eyes. The computer made a noise, signaling it needed more data to complete the suit's OS.

"If that's your helmet," Dash said as Eric walked a cord over to the suit, plugging it into the back. "Then how are you going to see?" she asked. "I mean, it doesn't have any eye holes. So how could you?" Eric walked back over to the computer, plugging the helmet in and opening the face.

"Like this," he said, holding it close to Dash's face. It was a crystal clear version of what was before her. "The glass I used causes the lights the electronics emit to create an image." She looked at him as he waved smiling. He continued to explain. "There are tiny cameras imbedded in the face plate that transmit video to the computer. And from there, a light emitting diode, or LED, sends pulses of light that disperse in the polarization to create a three dimensional display." He took the plate away, closing the helmet and setting it on the table. He unplugged the cord and motioned to the lift. "Shall we go do something?" he asked.

They strolled through Canterlot for an hour, browsing the shops and such. Dash had nothing in mind for the day and Eric was also at a loss. As they walked by the hospital, Eric thought of something that might get the conversation flowing. "So, um, how's the wing feeling?" he asked. Dash raised the braced limb, making a mock flapping motion.

"It doesn't hurt any more," she said, continuing their walk. "But I don't trust it to fly with right now. I'd give it a week before I break the splint off myself." She spied a bench and trotted ahead, sitting down on it. She patted the spot beside her, motioning him to sit with her. "So, how much longer until the suit is ready?" she asked as Eric sat down.

"Not too long," he said, holding her hoof in his hand. "It should be ready before you're cleared to fly again." They were sitting in a small garden the sidewalk ran through. The road was blocked from view by an ivy covered wall. They sat in silence, just appreciating the presence of each other.

"Eric," Dash said after a while, breaking the silence and scaring a few birds away. "Tell me about Earth," she said. "I heard about it from Keith when we were playing together, but I suppose it changed a lot since then." Eric leaned back, watching the clouds float by in a sea of light blue.

"What do you want to know?" he asked. "Before or after the end?" she watched the clouds with him, noticing one that looked like a toy robot.

"Both," she said. "what caused the end of your world and how you survived it." She specified. Eric knew this might change her opinion of him, and he was loath to have that happen. She was the first being he had loved since his wife died.

"Well, I lived in a large city name Los Angeles," he began. "It was filled to the brim with people, and always had something going on. I was rather respected and revered by the science community for what I did. I had created several places on the table of elements, I even invented the structure for Devnium Nine Ten. But I was drafted into a top secret experiment and it all changed from there."

"Your job is to make this strand of genetic code stable," the suited man said. Eric was in a labcoat, a dossier in his hands as he reviewed the sequence. G-A, T-C, G-A, C-G. It looked rather simple to put into anything really, so why was it unstable.

"What am I being paid for my work?" he asked the group of men and women at the table. Eric was very respected and also expensive to contract for private work. The gathered people talked amongst themselves for what seemed like an hour while Eric read the dossier.

"We are prepared to take anything you ask for," another man said. "This project will take precedence over all current projects, and in exchange for your cooperation we are prepared to give you a blank check." Eric scoffed at the offer in his mind. They didn't want to pay what he would have asked. To put three military contracts, a cancer cure, and five other pet projects aside he could demand the rights to their bank accounts.

"I want seven trillion British pounds in U.S dollars," he said. "I need four months to completely finish this project to the extent of the information I have. So tell me," he said. "What is this gene, which I might add isn't very uncommon, going to be used for?" the group of businessmen became nervous.

The one at the head of the table stood up. he was around five foot eight, and his hair was silver. He was young in the face and well built from the looks of his shoulders. He walked around to Eric, motioning to a camera man to take a shot. "Eric Johnson, Welcome to the house of Rosschild." The man extended his hand. "Shake my hand son, it would be in your best interest. We can supply you with more funding than any government in the world." Eric wasn't stupid, the Rosschilds were an ancient banking clan. They had their hands in every nation's pocket and pulled the strings at the UN. To be an honorary member of the clan meant he would be watched by agencies and feared by world leaders. And if he didn't shake this man's hand, he would most likely be dead. Eric reached out and shook the silver haired man's hand, having his picture taken by the boy with the camera.

"I had agreed to develop this genetic sequence into a stable platform for anything," Eric said to Dash as they sat on the park bench. "they said they would use it in food, medicine, all things beneficial. But they had other plans I didn't know of."

"What?" Eric screamed at the silver haired man from a year before. He could not believe what he had heard. "You said nothing about this being used as a weaponized virus!" he threw his hands up and walked around the room. "I never would have agreed to this if I knew that you were weaponizing it!" he kicked the chair the man sat in, pulling an empty syringe from his coat pocket and pulling back the plunger.

"Now Eric, be reasonable," the silver haired man said. "You don't have to worry about this virus. We have talked with the UN. Humanity is over populated and war cannot keep the numbers down." Eric held the needle in his fist, ready to jab it into the mans chest. "They want this, you have the gene, your wife and son have the gene. You will survive!" Eric halted his hand just before the needle struck into the man's chest.

"I'm not a murderer, but are showing the signs of manic depression." Eric said. He looked at the man with the will to strike him down now for exploiting him like that. "It would be a shame if you were to decide to jump out of your office, sir." He walked out of the open door, slamming it behind him. He pressed the plunger, emptying the bubble it contained and capping the needle.

"I should have killed him," Eric said. "It may have given me the time I needed to make a counter virus while they had to go through the local law. But I wasn't a killer. Not then at least. It wasn't until my Roseanne and Liam died that I began to loose it."

Eric sat on his sofa, staring at the bodies of his son and wife. Tears stained his face and blood covered his shirt and pants. Moments before, he had held the two as they hemorrhaged from deep lesions that appeared on their flesh. He knew they couldn't be saved, the virus worked too quickly. Within an hour of contracting the pathogen they were dead, growing cold on the floor. The streets outside were filled with cries for help and the sounds of crashing cars. People were dying left and right, falling like flies in a pesticide cloud. The ambulances that dispatched to save lives became prey for the invisible predator.

Eric felt something in his mind break, the tears stopping and his heart beginning to slow its manic beat. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed the cook's knife from the block. Exiting the house, he saw a woman thrashing on his stoop, begging for help. He rolled her over onto her back, pulling her shirt up to expose her stomach. Eric plunged the knife into the flesh, blood spraying over him as the abdominal aorta was punctured. He reached into the hole he had made, finding her heart and holding it in a vise like grip. The woman became calm, ceasing to breathe and slumped in his arms. Eric knew his new job, to end the suffering of all he could. He stood up, taking the knife in his crimson hand and walked deeper into the city.

"You have to understand," Eric said, staring at the ground as tears fell from his face. "This virus had a one hundred percent fatality factor. Anyone who caught it was killed slowly, an hour of suffering and pain. I had to help them, but I could only end their lives and spare them the agony of the lesions."

A month had passed since the initial LA outbreak happened. The world had begun to decay, dying around them. The soil lost its fertility, lying dusty and parched. Eric's car had broken down in Utah, forcing him to walk alone across the barren road. The images of his wife and son were still heavy on his mind. Three days after their deaths, they rose up and attacked him. Liam had bitten into his side, Roxanne into his chest. They had become flesh craving animals. Not only the humans either. All life that had a brain became flesh eating monsters. A dog walked out in front of him, barking and whining for food.

"I don't have anything to give you, sir." He said to the dog. "I only have a can of Spam and a sleeve of saltine crackers." The dog laid down in the road, looking up at him. Eric sighed. "Come on then" he said, walking by and calling to the animal. "Maybe we can find some Alpo at the next gas station." the dog got up and ran to catch up with Eric.

"Do you have a name, sir?" he asked the animal. The dog looked at him strange. "No? well I guess I'll have to give you one." The dog cocked its head again, raising an ear. "How about dusty?" he said as the dog shook, dirt flying from its fur. "That's a good name isn't it?" the dog barked happily, following his new master on their journey.

"That damn dog," Eric said with a humorless laugh. "The dog became my closest friend. In my mad state, I thought of it as a person. I would talk to the animal like it was a human, and I would some how know what it meant when it responded. We held conversations all the time, talking about politics and the like." He shook his head, leaning back on the bench. "But just like everything else, he died."

Eric's hands dripped blood almost as fast as the creature that it belonged to. "Dusty! Dusty where are you!" he called, desperately trying to find his friend. The dog was lying in the corner, panting on his side as blood poured from a gash in his neck. Eric knelt in the expanding pool, petting the dog. "It's ok man, your gonna make it." The dog looked at him in a way that shocked Eric. "No! I'm not lying!" she yelled, starting to cry. "I'm going to get you out of here Dusty! You are not dying on me!" he picked up the dog, carrying him toward the door, scanning the shelves with hazed eyes for anything to cover the wound and stop the bleeding.

The dog began to wheeze erratically, his breaths coming in ragged bursts. "No!" Eric yelled as the animals heart stopped beating. "No! Don't leave me buddy! Please!" Eric fell to his knees setting the dead friend on the floor. The dogs jaw twitched. Eric put his ear next to the twitching jaw. "I cant man, you know there is no cure." The death throes continued, causing the jaw to move more. "Oklahoma? The National Guard base?" the dog ceased moving as Eric stood up. He covered the corpse with a white sheet, the last remnants of his sanity activating for the lost friend.

"I had never thought that I would become that crazy," Eric said to Dash. "My closest friend was a dog that couldn't really speak, that always seemed to know where things of importance were. The dog sent me on a four year long search for information on the west half of the country. And I ended up finding a doctor of science named Strauss."

"Hey! You there! I'm human!" The disheveled scientist jumped out of his seat and fell on the floor, scrabbling back towards the other wall in fright. "Don't worry," stated Eric. "I'm alive. Hey! You should let me in!" he reassured and suggested almost simultaneously. "I can help!" the scientist shook his head desperately.

"Aww… Please?" Eric pleaded innocently. The scientist stood up, over his fit of surprise. He walked over to the window and keyed his Mic.

"Who are you?" the man in the lab coat demanded. Eric gave the man a puzzled look.

"Me? I'm the guy with all the notes from other facilities!" Eric smiled, holding up several key chains with around a hundred or more USB flash drives. Jangling them gently. "These are from Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, South California, North California…" he continued listing off state after state, never ceasing for breath. Eric continued to name flash drives, now detailing which facilities by city or military base. Once Eric finished, the scientist nodded.

"Head into decontamination and I'll meet you at the door." He pointed to his right. Eric looked over in the direction that the scientist was pointing, nodding. Eric and the scientist, now distinguished as Dr. Strauss Ph.D., were reviewing the documents. "It seems you've gathered a lot of useful data, Eric." Dr Strauss congratulated. Eric smiled and nodded.

"But it turns out a cure was impossible." Eric continued. "There weren't enough humans left alive to terraform earth, and the best option was to leave. We didn't have space ships, so the governments began to look for other ways. They found weird magnetic fields deep in the earth before all humanity fell."

"Alright Eric!" Strauss shouted over the noises of the machinery. "When I say go, jump higher than one foot into the air! You will be caught in the event horizon! If you don't make the jump at precisely the right time," he shook his head slightly. "Let's not think about that, shall we?" Eric gave him a thumbs up, confirming he had understood. As the devices surrounding Eric began to whine and spark, he watched Dr. Strauss, waiting for the signal.

That's when things started to go wrong. Strands of energy and radiation began to arc all around the room. Strauss was panicking, and understandably so. But what caught Eric's eye was the Lazarus coming through decontamination. 'What the…' he thought. 'How did it get inside?'

'What's going on,' Strauss thought. 'This is wrong. I gotta stop the process. I'm getting to many gauss readings in this.' Strauss entered command after command but none seemed to be working. "Dammit," he screamed. "Eric! Get out of the area! Go!" he waved at him to signal him to run.

"Doctor! There's a Lazarus! Look out!" Eric fired at the zombie like being that had entered the room, running at Dr. Strauss. Even though he aimed for the kill, the bullets missed the target, landing in the creatures knee. 'What the…' He thought, but he found he had bigger problems now. The Lazarus was running towards him now, and his gun was malfunctioning. Eric dropped his rifle, grabbing a Kukri knife from his belt before a white light blinded him.

"And then I ended up here." Eric said as he stood up. "I killed the human zombie, burned its body so the virus wouldn't affect the world here, and saved Ponyville. I think you know the rest." Eric held out a hand to help Dash out of her seat. She sat there, tapping her hooves together and refusing to look at him for a moment.

"You killed all those humans to save them?" she asked, it didn't make sense. If the virus would destroy them, then how was killing them anyway helping? Eric knelt down and held her hooves in his hands. They didn't look like the hands of a killer.

"You have to understand," he said quietly. "It was either end their pain quickly, or let them scream and cry in pain for hours until they died." He looked down and let go of her hoof, rubbing his right hand. It felt like it was coated with blood again. "I was helping them by saving their mind from the debilitating agony. I gave them a quick and painless death compared to the virus." He looked up at her, staring into her eyes. He had never noticed before, but Roxanne had the same eyes. Soft, caring, if a little cocky, and the most beautiful shade of magenta.

Dash looked back into his eyes. They were gray with black rims. They were set with a soft position, slanting down slightly while still being rounded. They had a hardened look to them though, like they had seen things most ponies can only imagine. The sockets were sunken in and shaded, as if he hadn't slept for a week constantly. "I think I do," she mumbled, looking away. "You couldn't save their lives, so made the passing quicker than it would have been." Eric nodded. "You seem different somehow, Eric," she said, a hint of worry in her voice. He was afraid that it would happen.

"I can understand if you're afraid of me," he said, hoping she hadn't felt that way. "If you want me to leave you alone for a while I will." He stood up and walked away a few steps, staring at a tree with his back turned. He wanted to get wasted and forget everything behind him, to be free of the memories.

"I'm not afraid," Dash said, walking up and hugging him around the waist before laying her head on his shoulder. "You just seem a little more dangerous. And I don't mean angry, just like you have more of an edge to yourself." Eric set his hands on her hooves, relieved she wasn't afraid or hated him for what he did. "Come on," she said. "Lets go see how our house is coming along." She let go of him, walking beside him towards the walls of the city.

They sat on the same hill as the day before, this time watching the construction crew blast a cave out of the mountain, while keeping the side intact. They had erected the frame in the hour they had been watching, carrying plywood and re-bar into the cavern along with a cement mixer. "It's going to be nice to have a house I could stand to be in," Dash said, leaning on Eric's chest as they lay on the grass. "I just hope nothing goes wrong." Eric chuckled, causing her to roll onto her back and stare up at him. "What?"

"You've never heard of Murphy's law, have you?" she gave him a quizzical look, just before a snapping noise was heard. The 2x4 frame came toppling down, falling down the mountain side. Eric just laughed at the sight of Pegasi ponies flying after it. "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. But it's never as hard or as easy as you think it will be." He pointed to the site as the ponies began to build another quickly.

"You know everything, don't you?" she asked, rolling back over and cuddling closer to him. Eric chuckled again, watching as they lifted steel girders up the mountain side.

"Not everything," he said as a joke, getting a hoof to the knee. "Ouch!" he shouted, giggling uncontrollably. "Oh you know it was funny," Dash made an exasperated sigh, sounding surprisingly like a horse from earth. "What's up Dashie?" he asked, stroking her side. She shrugged.

"Nothing," she said. "Just your darn Murphy guy made our house fall down a mountain." She giggled, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. "I have a question," she said. Eric nodded, waiting for her to ask. "Do you know how to fix my wing faster?" she asked. "I would love to be able to be with you on your first real flight."

Eric though about this for a moment. He had developed a medicine that could mend bone faster, almost cutting the healing time in half. "Yes," he said slowly, thinking about the compound again. "I can make it heal in half the time," he said, pulling a pen and paper out of the shoulder bag he carried. "But it will be painful," he warned as he wrote down the chemical make up of the injection. "The process has been know to cause severe pain in the affected area." Dash scoffed.

"don't you know how weed works?" she said. "It numbs you to pain, making the worst ache seem like nothing at all." She lifted her busted wing. "That's how I dealt with the aches from the last time this beauty got broken." Eric thought about the injection a little longer. He made some adjustments to the compounds, pleased with his work.

"I may be able to heal it instantly, but it would hurt infinitely more." He said, putting the notes away in the bag. "Come on," he said, getting up and helping her to her hooves. "I have to run a test before I give you anything." They hurried back into town, nodding at Mat and Sapphire who were watching the sunset again.

"Alright," Eric said nervously. "Break a rib Dash." He was standing shirtless in the lab. Dash was on her hind legs, preparing to hit his chest as hard as she could. She pulled back a hoof, setting up the swing. She was just about to let loose with the hit when somepony grabbed her arm.

"What the hell is going on here?" Sapphire demanded. "Why are you having her break your ribs?" she stood with her hands on her hips, waiting for Eric's explanation. He stood there, still braced for the pain. "I'm waiting, Eric!" she shouted causing him to flinch.

"I need to test a drug I made to heal bone, and I'm not testing it on anyone else." He explained. "She want's to be out of the splint sooner so she could join me when I finish the suit, and I said I would help." He picked up the syringe. "The worst that could happen is that it does nothing and I end up with a broken bone." Sapphire lifted her eye patch, scanning the injection with the steel eye. the composition said it would work the way it was designed to. Instantaneous healing of a damaged bone.

"Hold out your arm," she demanded. "Go ahead, you deserve the pain for making her do it." Eric did as she said, extending his right arm. Quicker than he thought possible, Sapphire slung the back of her mechanical arm on his. The radius and ulna snapped audibly, piercing through the skin and muscle and jutting out at an angle. Eric let out a yelp of pain before biting down on his lip and holding his breath. Sapphire grabbed his wrist and yanked on it, resetting the bones and stabbing him with the needle. "Calm down!" she yelled. Eric did as she said, gaining control quickly. She pushed the plunger and took out the needle, letting go of him.

Eric felt the pain increase ten fold, bringing him to his knees with an agonized and silent cry of agony. He could hear the bone snap and pop as it fit back together, an unbearable itch creeping over the limb. He was immobilized by the screams of protest his arm was sending him, unhappy with the recent abuse. He fell forward onto the floor as the pain vanished. "Great, he passed out." were the last words he heard.

Eric awoke to Sapphire slapping him gently on the face with her natural hand. "Come on," she repeated until he opened his eyes and mumbled a few failed words. She grabbed him by the arm she broke and pulled him to his feet, letting him stumble to the table. "It works, Doc," she said behind him. There were two needles on the table, both having the serum he had developed while he was conscious. He pointed at the empty needles. "She went ahead and had me do the injection." Sapphire explained, pointing to the passed out pony in his chair. "I'm going to let you wake her up," she said turning around and walking toward the exit. "Later," she said, throwing a peace sign over her shoulder.

Eric waited until he heard the lift rise to walk over to Dash. Her wing looked perfect, save for the splint the remained over it. "Dashie," he said, shaking her gently. "Can you here me?" he said. she mumbled in her sleep, moving and going back to sleep. He poked her in the side, causing her to wiggle and squirm. He chuckled, knowing she was faking now. "My sweet little Dash," he whispered. "It's time to wake up," he leaned closer, whispering her name repeatedly. He kissed her softly, getting a moan from her. He smiled and kissed a little more sensually. He got a response, feeling her kiss back. Eric tried for entry with his tongue finding her lips parted. He felt her press back, slipping her tongue over his. Eric broke the kiss.

"Don't stop," she said, looking at him with half lidded eyes. "Do you know how bad that hurt?" Eric chuckled and kissed her again, holding the contact as they explored each others mouths for a minute. When he pulled away, she blinked and wrapped her forelegs around his neck. "Ok, so maybe you do." She said seductively. Eric chuckled and picked her up.

They sat in the doctors office as he examined her wing. "I don't know how," the earth pony said. "But you've made a full recovery. And in record time I might add." He scribbled something on her chart. "I guess there's nothing to do now but discharge you fully." He said, handing the clipboard to a nurse. "I would suggest going home and getting rest, but I know you won't listen. Just take it slow, alright?" Dash nodded as he let them out of the room. Eric paid the receptionist the doctor's fee and led the way out.

"Finally!" Dash shouted as she jumped into the air and glided around the street. "This so beats walking," she said, floating beside Eric as he walked back to the motel. "I can't wait to teach you some moves," she said. "It's going to be so awesome!" Eric laughed as they went on their way.

"Just remember, that suit can go faster than you on a bad day," he said, waving a finger. "I may teach you something instead." Dash waved her hoof, brushing his facts off.

"Oh please," she scoffed, flying upside down. "I'm the fastest flyer in all of Equestria, there is no way you could beat me." Eric stopped and looked her dead in the eyes. She glared right back. "Not in a million years." she said, daring him to challenge her.

"The AI is running," Eric commented. "You want to be the first victim of speed?" he asked, challenging her. Dash did a back flip and flew back towards the lab. 'I guess so,' he thought, running to catch up.

Eric stood outside the castle the next morning, having set up the event with Celestia. The white Alicorn and her black sister stood on either side of him, looking at the black and red armor he wore cautiously. The suit made him look like a statue. The boots were flared just above the heel, presenting a vented thruster. The calves of the legs were tiled with metal, the kneed equally armored but with rotating joints. The thighs held open latches for arms. The abdomen was segmented in a scaled fashion, allowing for full mobility. The chest plate was a single curved piece of metal, a ridge on it to cause the air to separate. The neck guard was segmented also in bands that connected on the throat. The shoulders were shaped like the chest, and the upper arms looked like a solid plates. Spaces for blades to be attached were empty. the elbows resembled a more flexible version of the knee, and the forearm was made of some flexible material but still metal. They also held a stabilizing thruster on them. The back of his suit hummed ominously, a series of vests above the curve of his back sputtered flame and glowed constantly.

Rainbow Dash stood on the ground as the princesses announced the event. "Ladies and Gentlecolts, we seem to have a domestic dispute!" the audience laughed at the joke. "Rainbow Dash, winner of the Best Young Flyer award three years in a row, has been challenged by her mate! Eric Johnson, Knight of Equestria, Slayer of That Which Should Not Be, and Savior of Ponyville has challenged his mate to a challenge of agility and speed!" the crowd laughed, casting false boos and cheering his confidence. "On the word go," she called, only to be cut off by Dash taking to the sky.

"Cheater!" Eric yelled up, seating his helmet on and having the AI take over the minor systems. "Fifty percent power," he ordered. "**Move away**!" he yelled as the thrusters began to whine. The princesses backed away just in time. Eric crouched and launched with incredible speed, corkscrewing towards the mare he loved. He rocketed past her, causing her to stop and float. "Hover," he ordered the AI in his suit. Eric turned around and lifted the faceplate. "I thought you were the fastest!" he joked, lowering the plate again and activating the loudspeaker. "**Race Me,**" the distorted voice said as he took his position beside her. "**GO!**" he yelled, letting her lead. "Raise power gradually. Twenty start off, raise by ten percent every five seconds." The AI brought up the thrust gauge, along with a speedometer as Eric began to move forward.

Dash looked back as she continued to lead. "Come on already!" she called back before increasing her speed, pulling a trail of vapor from a cloud behind her. Eric was gaining fast and she knew it. Was it possible he was faster? "Horse apples," she said. "I'm the fastest!" she continued to gain speed as Eric came abreast.

"**How ya doin'**?" he asked, turning off the wrist stabilizers and spinning upside down. He crossed his arms as Dash struggled to match his ever increasing speed. "**I thought you said I could never outrun you**?" he sniped as she turned further up. They continued to gain altitude as the Weather Patrol cleared the skies below them. Eric got a message. _Altitude unsafe for un-supplied beings. Activating O2 systems_. Dash was gasping for breath as she floated at ten thousand feel beside him.

"This is where I get my title," she huffed. She tucked her wings in tight, angling downward. Eric followed her, cranking the thrust up to full. He continued to gain speed, watching the sonic cone form around Dash. She passed through one, two, three mach speeds. Eric had just passed the fourth one, his sensors showing a thermal ahead. Dash sensed it and opened her wings to get extra hang time. Eric followed her example, releasing a steel mesh membrane from under his arms. The chutes filled with the wind and rose him up. they had both lost speeds, traveling a mach two.

Dash tucked in again, gaining further speed. Eric followed, passing through the fifth barrier. Dash glanced back at him, seeing his armor begin to heat up and glow red and yellow. 'I refuse to lose to anything!' she screamed in her mind. She flapped once, breaking the barrier and creating a horizontal rainbow burst. Eric was shocked, but had already heard of her "Sonic Rainboom". He might be able to one up it.

"Afterburner, flood the chamber!" he yelled at the AI. It obeyed, adding a sliver of Devnium to the thrusters. The suit shuddered, causing him to become nervous before he accelerated rapidly. He approached the ground at mach 5, 6,7,8,9. The meter stopped recording when he passed mach ten. He was approaching light speed. "WAHOO!"

Dash gasped as Eric shot past her, trailing a solid line of violet flames. "Holy cow," she said as she rode her mach 9 Rainboom. "That isn't possible,"

"OH MY GOD!" Eric screamed into his helmet as the world warped around him. His suit had gone from glowing white to burning in a violet light. The only objects he knew of that did that were asteroids on entry. He continued to gain speed as he approached Canterlot. Suddenly there was an explosion and Eric's display went blank.

"Uh oh," Leoj said, poking Soarin on the shoulder and pointing to Eric as he trailed violet flames. "This is bad." He said as Soarin's jaw dropped. "He's about to go hyper-light, he could tear open reality!" Leoj screamed at Mat and Sapphire. The blazing form of Eric's suit exploded in a ball of white light and disappeared. Rainbow Dash landed beside the princesses, looking at the glowing blast of light.

"No, no, no," she muttered, shaking her head slowly. "NO!" she screamed as the ball turned into a violet torrent of floating fire a mile wide. Tears streamed down Dash's face. Eric had exploded. There was a sputtering pop coming from the cloud. Everypony and human looked at the firestorm as it shrunk in size, becoming a glowing pinprick in the sky above. The small glow exploded out in all directions, a streak of glowing smoke being sent toward the city at great speed.

"Where are we?" Eric screamed at the AI. The screen showed one word. **NOWHERE**. "That isn't possible! There is always something in the physical universe!" he argued. **SKYS ABOVE CANTERLOT IN 3…2…1.** There was a massive explosion as the screen came to life, Eric was being thrown toward Canterlot castle. "Full throttle burst! NOW!" he ordered. The thrusters on his arms, back and boots kicked in and fired an explosive burst as he wheeled forward, launching him clear of the city and over the woods beyond. He rode the burst forward, righting the spin before loosing power and flailing as he tumbled. He gripped a failsafe and pulled the pin, the suit locking rigid and filling the armor's cavities with a gel.

The explosive burst could be heard over the sound of the fire that crept along the sky. Mat was first on the draw, having his glasses on and charting a trajectory. "We gotta move! He's bound to be hurt after that and the inevitable crash!" him and Sapphire ran to the wall, Mat throwing her over and following her. Leoj appeared beside Dash, grabbing her by the waist and falling backwards into a time rift.

They came out near a crater a half mile wide, a trench beginning a thousand yards away from it. "He bounced," Leoj said as he ran towards the trench. Dash flew behind him, confused by what she had seen in the rift. "Go! Go find him!" he yelled. She saluted and flew ahead. Mat and Sapphire caught up, holding onto Leoj's shoulders. He stepped forward with them, entering another rift.

Rainbow Dash flew fast, a blue streak in the sky to anything below. She followed the trench with her eyes, looking for Eric. She wasn't sure she wanted to find him, he could be… "Stop thinking, Dash." She said to herself. "He's fine, he has to be." She continued to follow the trench. It was over three miles long. "How fast was he going," she asked nopony. She spotted a pillar of smoke ahead, fearing the worst. "Please be ok," she mumbled to herself, landing next to another crater. This time it was only a hundred feet wide. In the middle was Eric in his suit. It was char black and stripped of all its paint, smoke rolling out of the thrusters. Dash ran up to him, trying to see if he was ok. "Eric! Can you here me!" she yelled as she reached him.

Eric was at an odd angle, his back was arched forward, his arms at angles that looked like he tried to brace against the impact. His legs were like the arms, only slightly staggered. She walked up to him, seeing a piece of the armor poking out. It had a push logo on it. She pushed it in, releasing the lock on the armor. Eric's arms and legs fell, his back straightening and his helmet lolling to the side. Dash walked up to his head, remembering how Eric had opened it before. He tapped the bolts on the sides and lifted the plate with her nose. Eric's face and neck were covered with a gray gel that fell away as the helmet opened. The display flashed a message before the suit ratcheted into smaller pieces. Every opening leaked gray gel.

"No…" Dash said through the lump in her throat. "No, you can't be dead Eric. You just can't…" she laid her self down next to him, nudging his face with her nose as she cried. "Please…" she pleaded. "Wake up, just wake up…" Leoj and the others appeared next to the crater. Sapphire gasped at the state of the situation while mat turned away and crouched before a tree. Leoj frowned slightly and walked into the crater. He placed his fingers on his jugular vein, searching for a pulse, something more than K.I.A.

Dash cried and continued trying to wake him, but to no avail. "Rainbow Dash," Leoj said in a soft voice. She ignored him and continued her attempts. "Dash, stop…" he said, but she continued to ignore him.

"**Such a pity,"** a voice like smoke said from behind them all. **"Tell me, how did he die?" **Rainbow Dash turned and felt her breath catch. Before her was a winged human, a white hooded robe and a milk toned claymore sword in his hands. The deities black orbs fell on Dash and he nodded. **"Of course,"** he said in a deadpan.** "Love."** Azrael walked into the crater, holding his blade upright in his hands. **"Move aside mortal," **He said in his smooth, hollow voice. Dash was pushed away by an invisible force as Death hefted the blade and brought it down on Eric's body. The blade passed through his chest without contact, pulling a translucent form behind it.

_Hey Dashie,_ the figure of Eric said. her face was that of utter horror. _What's wrong? Do I have something on my face?_ Eric lifted his hand, passing it through his head. _Oh…_ Was all he said. He looked at Death with a deadpan expression. _I'm dead, huh?_ He asked, receiving a nod. Eric sighed in an echoing voice. _I'm sorry, Dash,_ he said, kneeling before her and placing an ethereal hand on her cheek. The contact was warm, flooding her mind with thoughts and images from Eric's mind. _I was kind of looking forward to being with you. But I guess life has other plans._ He stood, looking at all of the agape faces. _What? Have you guys never seen a ghost before?_

He turned around to see a woman with red hair standing next to a man with a golden glow around him. "Leave him be, Azrael," the woman said as the man bent and kissed Eric's body on the lips. A shard of metal floated between their mouths as he pulled away. "This one lives. He is possibly the last fertile one of his race." The angel bowed, sheathing his sword between his wings and vanishing.. "Eric, please return to the living." The beings touched his disembodied soul on the chest and absorbed him before placing their hands on his forehead and chest. They disappeared a moment later.

Eric gasped a shuddering breath, coughing as he sat bolt upright. He coughed more, flecks of blood landing on a stone in front of him. A shard of metal slid out of his mouth in a stream of blood. "Oh damn," he gasped after wiping his mouth. He looked around the crater, staring at each of the pale faces around him. "Well," he began. "Did I win?" Leoj raised a hand, turning around and walking over to Mat and Sapphire. "What?" Eric asked. "The hell are you all so freaked out by?" Eric coughed again, blood flying into his gauntlet. "It was just a crash, what are you all s-" Eric was cut off by a hoof. His helmet flew off, landing a few yards away.

Rainbow Dash Hugged him and cried on his armored shoulder. "Don't ever do that to me again," she cried, holding him as tight as she could. "You stupid Egghead," he wrapped her in his arms, holding her. He had no idea how close he was to dying. Seven ponies appeared with a soft pop in the trench, just outside the small crater. Keith looked around the area, his eyes covered in a negative light.

"Who died?" he asked, looking at the humans and Dash. Leoj glowed with a silver light, Mat with a red aura, Sapphire with a blue one and Dash and Eric shared a golden light. "You," he said walking towards Eric and pointed his hoof at him. "What did they say?" he asked, confusing the human. Keith stomped his hoof and separated Dash from him. Keith lifted Eric by his chest plate, holding him with his hooves. "You two have been touched by Gods, what did they tell you?" Eric was surprised by his strength.

"I'm not dead you fucking Jarhead," Eric yelled. "Put me the hell down!" Keith stared at him, listening to the songs his aura gave off. He let Eric go, walking back to the group as AJ held Dash with one hoof while she cried. "Now, would someone explain this shit?" Eric asked, looking around the crowd. Leoj shook his head, backing up with Mat and Sapphire into a rift. Rainbow Dash tried talking but couldn't stop her tears.

"You have been saved through divine intervention, Eric," Keith explained. "Two deities have altered you and Dash. One gave you live and healed your wounds, the other I have no idea." The Negative light left his eyes, replaced by the usual black irises. Eric shook his head, picking up his helmet. His legs gave way and he fell to one knee.

"I don't believe in gods or god or any of that bullshit," he said, reaching for a round piece of his armor. He pulled on the pin, turning the cylinder that appeared and pushing it back in. The armor covered his legs and stomach again. Eric stood, the hydraulics keeping him upright at the moment. "If anything is going to save me, it's going to be a doctor. He slipped the helmet on, looking at the display before lifting the faceplate again. "I need to…" was all he could say before he groaned in pain. He stepped forward, falling on his side. Blood flowed from his mouth as he passed out.

**OH NOES!**

**Well this is an interesting development I would say. Bet you can't figure what their going to call what Eric did. :P**

**Anyway, the "Negative Light" does not mean black light or a black colored light. Keith's ability lets him see the soul of another. A negative light means it absorbs light. There is no light there.**

**Also the Deities were Apollo and Aphrodite by the way (and yes Apollo liked to play the field, if you know what I mean.)**

**Please review :)**

**Mat & Sapphire used with permission of Bahamut Crisis Core**

**Leoj used with permision of Timefather64**


	8. Chapter 8

**My Little Pony property of Hasbro**

"Ugh," Eric muttered when he woke up. "Maybe badmouthing a god wasn't the best idea." He said with a chuckle as he propped himself up on the bed. When he opened his eyes, Eric found he was in a hospital recovery room. Rainbow Dash was asleep on a bed near him and, from the looks of things, Sapphire was passed out in a chair. "I've never been so popular," he joked to himself. "What happened?" he asked no one. A quick scan of the room showed that he had been there for at least a day and a half. There were four IV bags on the hanging rack beside him, a steadily beeping monitor to his right, and what looked like takeout boxes in the corner.

He pulled an empty bag off the rack and ripped the hose from it; throwing it at Sapphire. "Wake the hell up Blue," he called, tossing a needless syringe at her and hitting her on the nose. She shook her head and ran a hand across her face. "About time you woke up," Eric sniped. She ran her fingers through her eyes and yawned staring at him.

"I could say the same to you," she said, standing up and taking the seat closest to him. "Your asleep while on duty." She pinched the morphine drip he had, letting it cut off. She waited a minute to see if Eric would react to any pain. "Looks like your fit to get back in that suit to me," she said, pulling the morphine needle out of his arm along with the IV. "Princess Celestia ordered me to get you up and about town once you woke up so we can get your muscles used to activity again." She unplugged the heart monitor and EEG machine before taking off the pads that were connected to him.

"Wait,' Eric said before she got him up. "How long was I out?" she shook her head and lifted him onto his feet, letting him lean on her. She walked Eric around the room a few times until he was ready to try it on his own.

"You were in a coma Eric," Sapphire explained as he leaned on a wall for a rest. "A two week coma. You fell into it after the doctors closed a hole in your stomach and lung." She shook her head. "A few time it looked like you were going to go out on the table, but you kept fighting for life." Eric picked up a pair of pants and put them on under the patient gown he wore. "I've never seen someone refuse painkillers during surgery, but you must really fuckin' hate needles." Eric shrugged, holding a scar on his stomach as he took off the gown.

"What can I say," he smirked as he slipped a shirt on over his head. "damn things get me every time." He picked up his coat and felt a wave of exhaustion fall over him. Eric leaned on the counter, breathing heavily. "Could you go get my armor?" he asked Sapphire as he made his way back to the bed, using the counter as support. "I can't stay up for long and it's mechanics should help with that." She nodded and went out of the room. Eric sat down on the edge of the bed, panting and trying to catch his breath. He heard mumbling be hind him and sheets being moved.

"Eric," he heard Dash say as she sat up. She seemed surprised that he was awake. He turned around and gave a weak wave, his breathing still coming in labored bursts. "Oh thank Celestia your awake!" she yelled floating over to him and holding him in her hooves. "I thought I lost you in that crash," she said, a tear falling from her eye. she smacked him with a hoof in the back of the head. "Don't ever do that to me again, you stupid Egghead." Eric laid his arm over her, pulling her closer.

"Can't get rid of this dumb ass that easily," he said with grim humor. Dash sputtered a laugh as he rubbed her shoulder. "So I was out for two weeks, huh?" he asked, having gotten his breath back. Dash nodded, squeezing him tighter. She cried into his shirt, tears he knew she had been saving for this moment. "What did the doctors pull out of me?" Dash sat up and let go of him, wiping her nose with a hoof.

"They," she began haltingly, trying to remember. "They pulled out a few chunks of metal and a stick," she said, poking him gently on the stomach. "A few times I actually though you weren't going to make it, Eric." She said, hugging him again. "Just promise me you won't do that again." Eric chuckled a little, falling into a cough.

"I don't plan on it," he said, kissing her on the forehead. "Right now I plan on getting to a real bed and taking a day long nap." He added with a laugh. Dash laughed with him, wiping her eyes. "I bet our house if finished now," he said. "have you been there yet?" she nodded.

"Twilight went with me to give us some furniture," she said. "and it is nice furniture," she added. "Really big bed, a sofa and a few recliner chairs, big TV." She listed off a few other things too. "And Mat dropped a few crates in the basement, saying you might like what was inside." Eric nodded and tried to stand up again, sitting back down when his legs refused to take his weight. Sapphire came back in carrying a pair of boots, a bag and the chest plate to his armor. A round bag held what Eric suspected was the helmet.

"So how about that leisurely fly to our house?" he asked Dash as Sapphire helped him into the boots. "I can't walk on my own," he explained as Sapphire slipped the large plate and pack over him with the shirt that was attached. "So I was thinking we could take a slow cruise to the house." He smiled at her as he slipped the plated sleeves on. He pulled out a cylinder from his waist, turned it ninety degrees, and pushed it back in. the armor ratcheted back over his legs, stomach, back and neck. A hum came from the pack as Eric took his helmet from Sapphire's hands. "Thanks,"

she waved him on as Dash and Eric walked to the front desk. A nurse tried to stop him, but he paid her no mind. "Mister Johnson!" she receptionist said, surprised to see him up and about. "You really shouldn't be out of bed right now," she said, picking up a phone. Eric held down the disconnect button over the counter.

"Thank you for your concern," he said, taking the phone and putting it back in its cradle. "But I want to go home and sleep in a real bed. Just sign me out, ma'am." The nurse looked at him funny, but didn't object anymore. She handed him the form, Dash filling it out for him. She labeled the address, which he didn't know, and signed the bottom. The nurse took it from her, adding it to a stack for the day. She thanked them for their business as they left.

Dash floated up about fifty feet and called for Eric to join her. Eric sighed, not knowing what had broken in the suit during the crash. Putting on his helmet he ran the diagnostics. There was a glitch in the automated removal systems, but other than that everything was fine. "**Lucky me**," he said through the speakers. He rose into the air, slowly spiraling up to Dash. "**I'm ready when you are**," he said, hovering beside her. she smiled and nodded, slowly taking wing toward the mountain the house was built on. Eric straightened out as he moved forward, laying out and holding his arms at angles to keep the angle of attack straight.

Eric and Dash passed over the city walls, slowly turning flips and spirals around each other as they went. Eric lifted his faceplate, sliding it back over the helmet until it rested on the back of his head. Flying felt great, much better than riding in an airplane. It was liberating, like he could go anywhere he wanted at will. Dash flipped upside down flying abreast underneath him. "Isn't this great?" she asked, yelling over the wind. Eric smiled and did a barrel roll, releasing a trail of smoke from his arms like a show plane. Dash flipped back, flapping as she rose above him. "You want to try some tricks?" she asked as he turned over and looked up at her.

"Sure," he replied, lowering the faceplate again. "**Which one do you want to tackle first?**" he asked over the loudspeaker. She nodded and took him through a series of flips and loops, testing his agility before beginning the lessons. Eric preformed a backward flip while still traveling forward. He pulled a near ninety degree turn without slowing down, the G forces pressing the air out of his lungs. He dove toward the ground, pulling up with Dash just before striking the ground. She looked back at the cloud of dust his thrusters kicked up, returning hier view to the fore in time to see a cliff coming up fast. She pulled up and away, Eric mirroring her moves before coming back in a loop. They spiraled around each other as they flew up the cliff face.

"You're pretty good for somepony with no wings!" she said with a grin before landing on the edge of the cliff. Eric leaned back on his thrusters, letting the force decrease until he floated above the ground. "I bet you could give the Wonderbolts a challenge." She said as he touched down and slid the faceplate back. Eric shrugged and smiled, the hydraulics hissing.

"Thanks," he said, bumping his knuckles on her hoof. "but I'm not nearly as dexterous as you are." Dash laughed and took to the air again. She floated around the area for a while before signaling their break was over. They took to the air again, this time picking up speed before leveling off in the sky.

"Alright," she said, floating back and forth like a drill instructor. "It's time to learn. I want you to get up some speed, do a backward roll and pull up at a one hundred and twenty degree angle. This will force around eight G's on you, so you have a high possibility of passing out and falling out of the sky." She got up in his face. "Can you handle it, Firebird?" she asked, using the nickname she heard floating around Canterlot the past week. Eric kissed her before dropping the face plate.

"**Damn sure,**" he said before shooting straight up. Eric watched the altimeter, stopping when he reached five thousand feet. "**Here goes,**" he said as he cut the thrusters. Eric rolled back, corkscrewing towards the ground. The speedometer clocked up to five hundred mph before he kicked in the thrusters. Eric leveled out a foot from the ground with a flare of red coming out of the nozzles. He gained some altitude before cutting the thrusters and leaning back. Eric forced them into life, blue flames trailing him as the blood was forced into his feet from the G's. He continued back up to Dash before activating the air brakes, the panels slowing him down to a stop in front of her.

"Good," she said as he raised the display. "Not many Pegasi get that one on their first try. They usually have to try it three times before they get it down." Eric shook his head, suddenly nauseous. "You ok?" Dash asked as he leaned back some and watched the horizon to settle his stomach. Eric shook his head and lowered the display.

"**I just need to lay down for a while**," he said, holding his abdomen. "**I think that trick stressed my staples.**" He righted himself and turned towards the glint of the windows, waving Dash towards the house. "**And I bet you wouldn't mind sleeping in an actual bed."** she nodded and flew past him, letting him catch up.

Eric touched down on the flat surface beside the building, grass starting to sprout on the black soil. The west face was glass, a Lexan floor let you seemingly walk on air. The architecture was like that of a space age earth home. There were slight angles to the roof and walls, slanting back and out respectively. The walls were the color of adobe bricks while the composite roof looked and felt like wood. It was rather cozy in Eric's opinion. Dash landed next to him, opening the door. "Looks like Alice has the fire going," she said, mentioning the AI that ran the property.

Eric walked in and began unclasping the sections of his suit, sliding the arms off and carrying them to the mannequin. He took off the boots and greaves, slipping them onto the false body. He took off the scales around his back and stomach, hooking them to the dummy before setting the chest piece and helmet on. Her clasped it all together, activating the lock so it didn't fall over. "If you didn't know better," he said, placing the helmet on the neck brace. "You'd think it could walk out and fight the zombies for us."

Dash laughed and poked the empty suit. "Wouldn't that be a bummer," she said. "Take all the fun out of my new job." She smiled at Eric as he raised an eyebrow. "While you were in that coma, some things attacked Night Forge. Celestia told me to lead a squad of Pegasi in and cut them down. We did such a good job that she made the wing official." She trotted off into kitchen, pouring a cup of water. "I'm now the leader of the Night Hawks." She said, handing a cup to Eric. He took the drink and nodded. She deserved something with a decent paycheck.

Eric fell back on the large four poster bed, sighing as the pillow cradled his neck and head. "This is so much better than that brick the gave me at the hospital," he groaned as he stretched. Dash floated above the mattress, tucking her wings and cannon balling into the pillow top. Eric grunted as the bed tossed him around. "Don't do that," he sighed as the stitched inside of him protested. Dash giggled and cuddled up next to him.

"Sorry, babe," she said, kissing his cheek. "I couldn't help myself." She laid her head on his collar as Eric wrapped an arm around her. "So when do you think Celestia will call you back into action," she asked, looking up at him as he thought about the question.

"Not for another day at least," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I feel like I could sleep for a few days." He closed his eyes, bringing Dash closer to him. "What about you," he asked. "How did you like your first solo mission?" she sighed and shrugged.

"It was ok," she said, pulling the blanket further over them. "We got the job done way too quickly though. It was like the things wanted us to win." She felt Eric shudder at the thought. It really unnerved Eric. If the zombies had a leader that could think up tactics that effectively, they were doomed. "Don't think about it too much, baby." Dash said, nuzzling against his chest. "All I want you to have on your mind right now is me and getting better." Eric chuckled at how she seemed to stop thinking only about herself in the time he had been under.

"Alice, turn off everything." He alerted the AI. "We're going to sleep." The lights dimmed into nothing as the sound of the fire died away. "Goodnight, Alice." He said as Dash began to snore. The AI pinged quietly over the speaker system in the ceiling.

"It is twelve hundred hours, sir," Alice said. "I would hardly call it night." Eric face palmed mentally. He would have to alter her interface systems to make her more bearable. Eric forgot about it as she tinted the windows to darken the house. He felt sleep overtake him, falling out of consciousness.

Beepbeepbeep!

"its too damn early," Eric mumbled before falling back to sleep.

Beepbeepbeep!

"Dammit, if he's started another fire…"

Beepbeepbeep!

Eric reached for the glasses as the flashed and emitted that blasted noise. He slid them on out of reflex, pushing the transmit button without opening his eyes. "Kevin, if you've started another chemical fire in my lab, I swear I'm gonna…" he said into the mic, only to be cut off.

"Who the hell is Kevin?" Mat asked. Eric opened his eyes, shutting them quickly and growling from the light. Eric slipped out from under Dash, sitting up on the side of the bed.

"Alice," he called. "open the windows and start the coffee, I'm awake." The AI went about the commands without comment. "sorry, thought this was all a dream for a moment," Eric looked around, sighing when he saw Dash was still asleep. "Kinda glad it isn't though." He stood up and found the pants from earlier, putting them on before walking into the kitchen.

"Why are you wearing sunglasses indoors, Eric?" Alice asked. Eric proceeded to pour a cup of coffee as he listened to Mat shuffle some papers around and type on a computer. "It seems a little counter productive considering it is twenty-three hundred hours." Eric drank his coffee.

"Shut up, Alice," he said in a deadpan. "You can turn in again when Dash needs you, I'm doing business." The AI acknowledged his request, turning off until Rainbow Dash called for her. Eric heard Mat finish what he was doing, chirping the mic. "Ow," Eric said in another deadpan, taking a drink.

"Sorry," Mat said. "Who's Alice?" he asked. Eric explained about the house's AI. "Ah," Mat said. "Well, bad news Eric." Mat said. Eric considered mentioning the fact he had been woke up. "The Zombies are mobilizing again, this time in an organized fashion." Eric dropped his mug, his mouth agape as the ceramics shattered on the floor. "You ok? I thought I heard something break."

Eric rushed toward the armor, finding a stray shirt in the living room and putting it on. "Yeah, I'm fine. How organized?" he heard some papers being moved as he slipped on the leggings and chest plate of his armor. Eric had the sleeves on and was about to activate the suit when Rainbow Dash walked into the room.

"What's going on?" she asked groggily, wanting to know why he had gotten up. She blinked as she saw him twist the cylinder and push it in. the armor ratcheted back over him, Alice having fixed it in the middle of their nap. Lightning struck the mountainside above, the boom causing them both to jump. "Why are putting that on?" she demanded. Eric tapped the glasses, letting her know it was work. "No, you're still hurt." She objected, walking up and fumbling with the suit, trying to take it off of him. "You are not fighting zombies until your better." Eric noticed something was off about the way she was acting. She had demonstrated the ability to remove his armor before, but the way she was fumbling and groping at the suit told a different story.

Eric shoved her away. "Who are you?" he asked, kneeling next to her and setting his right thruster to standby. The tube glowed blue in the dark room. "My Dash already knows how to get this off of me, so you aren't her." He adjusted the burning hole closer to the imposter's head. "So tell me who the hell you are." The pony before him laughed in a familiar voice.

"I could be anyone you want, Eric," she said, turning into his dead wife and staring him down. Eric just pushed his arm closer. "Ok, maybe not the best choice. All things considered." The faux image of Roxanne turned into Liam, his son. Eric suppressed his urge to embrace his son. "I see I've hit a sensitive subject," Liam said to him as he lowered his arm slightly. "Let's say that I can be your greatest friend, or your worst nightmare." Liam faded into a shadowed form, falling into the floor and climbing up into a speaker. "Let us say I am the true, Thing that Should Not Be. I am the terror of the night, Slayer." The shadow darted into the corner, Eric following the figures every move. "I have come with an offer, and quite a juicy one I may add." The shadow covered the walls and windows, setting the area in a black haze. "I have your mare, she is mine to do with as I please. That is, unless you do exactly as I say."

"Mat," Eric said into his glasses. "I'll have to call you back." He turned off the lenses, folding them and tossing them where he knew a table was. "When did you take her?" Eric asked before sitting down.

"In the middle of your rest, Slayer," the figure said seeming to laugh at him. "Now listen. You will continue to perform your duties, fooling the princesses into believing all is well as you lay waste to the hordes of undead I send your way. In a few months time, the horde will make a second attack on Night Forge and Canterlot at the same time. At that time, I want you to slay the Sun God that resides in this land's monarchy." The shadow showed Eric the real Rainbow Dash. She was bound in chains, looking at him like she had been beaten for days. " In exchange, this image shall be no more. I will release her to you once we control the city of Canterlot and you two will be free to live your lives as you wish. But if you should turn against me," the image of Dash vanished. "She will cease to exist. I will destroy her very atoms."

Eric sat in the darkness, thinking about what the being had said. He could turn on him right then and there, put up a bravado, but he knew the creature meant business. He didn't doubt that it wouldn't hesitate to kill her outright and show it to him. Eric decided to play it safe, search for a loophole in the beings demands. "Alright," Eric said. "But I want to be notified before every attack and given exact numbers before hand." He got the impression of the darkness nodding.

"I'm honestly thrilled that you see it my way," the creature growled in its manner. "I ensure you that no harm shall come to your mare." The darkness began to fade, moving around the room to the door. "And if anything should ask where the Pegasus is, tell them that I took her. They will believe you." And with that the creature was gone.

Eric put on his helmet, walking into the basement. There was a tunnel that let out near the bottom of the mountain and two crates. Eric walked over to the first of the two crates and read the note attached. "Weapons," Eric read aloud. He gripped the lid and the body, pulling them apart easily. Eric dug through the straw, pulling out cases of ammunition, two rotary mini-guns, four assault rifles of varying caliber, and multitudes of pistols that had .357, .44, .45 magnum, and .500 S&W caliber.

There was a rocket tube and several extra rockets, two 40mm rifles, and a wooden stand with gold tinted swords loaded on and fastened with rope. He set them out around the room, leaving the blades by the tunnel. He returned to the other case, reading the note. "For your suit," he read aloud again. Breaking it open, he found a six by sis platform. It was hollow and stood three feet above the floor. "The hell is this?" he asked no one. He stepped onto it, finding two foot shaped depressions on the base. He stood in them, sending a blue light through the system. The top opened around him, an orange boom arm lifted to eye level. It had another note.

Eric, congratulations on the suit. I can see it has speed and flexibility, so I designed a few add-ons for it. Any attachments are built around the design, so they will not interfere with the construction. First of all, plasma isn't as unstable as you think, though the thruster system is more efficient and requires less maintenance. You went around the idea rather narrow mindedly, using chemicals instead of the near limitless energy of the fusion reactor. These attachments are designed to give you the power of plasma, and leave your arms free to use during flight.

Mat.

"Ok," Eric said, wadding up the note and tossing it aside. "If it can be done, do it." With the words, the remaining booms went to work on the suit. They rearranged the thrusters on the arms to the shoulders, adding two bands to his arms. Next they reached around the room, taking one of the mini-guns and attaching it to the back of his shoulder. They disassembled several of the pistols, attaching parts of them to the wrists of the suit. They took apart his abdomen and back plates, reconstructing it with thicker parts and adding to the understructure. They did the like to the rest of the suit, adding parts and changing plates.

When the process ended, Eric's suit was bigger and heavier, but more streamlined and aerodynamic. The Heads Up Display in his helmet showed a list of the weapons he now had. Eric let loose a wild grin. "Mat, you're a genius," he said as he read the list. He had plasma blades, launchers, explosives and a cutting torch. The ballistics readout was also impressive. The Mini-gun had a fifty caliber chain of a thousand rounds and sat on his left shoulder, one of the rifles had been worked into an automated system on his right. The pistols had been mounted on the back of his gauntlet, four barrels were loaded with .44 magnum rounds and four held .500 S&W.

Eric felt a sharp pain in his neck before the neck plates were replaced. It developed into a headache that vanished after a few moments. The system gave him a heads up, informing him that the AI had been removed and the suit was controlled by intent now. "Hot shit," he said, thinking about activating the plasma blades. Two curved tracks of electricity appeared from the backs of his wrists. They were about four inches thick at the base and curved forward, ending in a point a foot in front of his thumbs. He put them away, readying the launcher. He felt the palm of his hand heat up and watched as it glowed. He pointed to the wall, loosing a bolt of red light that struck the wall and charred a foot wide area. The display informed him that he had toe blades, launchers in his hands and feet, and plasma spikes that could project from anywhere on the suit's skin.

Eric watched the boom arms collapse into the base, closing over them and releasing their clamps. Eric stepped forward and off of the platform, jumping and flipping into a horizontal stance before rocketing out of the tunnel. It curved down and to the right, letting out behind the rock formation. Eric brought the radio up, calling the squad. "This is Firebird to all members," he said, using the name that what he thought was the real Dash used. "Meet me at the city gates and prepare to attack the enemy."

Eric landed in a cloud of water vapor as he came in at speed, running to the gates from a few hundred yards away. Mat, Sapphire, Leoj and Soaring were there. "**Soarin!**" Eric yelled before stopping before him. "**You are in charge of the Night Hawks now**," he looked at their confused faces, all but Leoj. "**She's been taken by something while we slept**." Eric explained. He lifted his faceplate and stared at Mat. "Thanks for the stuff by the way. Best housewarming present ever." The super soldier nodded at the complement. "Now, where are they?"

The group spent the next half hour under a field tent, figuring out their best approach to the situation. "As far as we know," Sapphire continued. "The undead are incapable of flight. So that means the Night Hawks are safe from enemy air patrols. But the bad thing is," she stopped, pulling out a map of the Everfree forest and Ponyville. "They took back the town and control everything in the area. We have reports of Cockatrices, Manticores, Dragons, Trolls and Diamond dogs having succumbed to this…" she waved both of her hands around her. "This shadow creature. It has an army ten times the size of ours, but the soldiers don't tend to stick to the plan when a meal is on the table."

"Don't tell me your thinking what I think you are," Eric said from the other side of the table. "Are you suggesting live bait?" he asked, looking around. "Its barbaric to even consider." She shook her head, pointing to a location between Ponyville and Canterlot.

"This is where we take back that area and add the Everfree to pony domain." She said. "We have several unicorns versed in manipulation and conjuration. They will turn a pile of meat into the likeness of four ponies who will venture into Ponyville under their control. If all goes to plan, the enemy will take the bait and be drawn into this bottleneck here." She pointed to a mountain pass wide enough for a single dragon or troll to traverse.

"Then what?" The unicorn named Little Strife asked. "We take all they throw at us when they're done with their meal and hope for the best?" the unicorn shook his mane. "Suicide, all you humans ever think about is suicide runs!"

"No," Eric said, stepping in front of him as he tried to walk away. "We try to save the most lives while taking the least amount of losses." Everypony and human looked at him, obviously seeing him as a leader. "We will make our stand there, kill as many as we can, and then we pull back to refit and regroup." He looked around raised his voice. "We will win, for Canterlot!" he yelled. "On earth, there was an ancient king, wise and strong. He wanted to take a civilization know as Greece with his undefeated army. The leader of a piece of this nation left his land against orders, three hundred men with him. They made a stand like this against ten thousand soldiers. They were out numbered immeasurably and killed. But before they fell, they had killed over five thousand of the invading force. They gave the people time to get away from their doom." He looked around the area, pointing towards the banners of Celestia and Luna that flew over the castle.

"I will take anyone that is willing to fight to protect their monarchs and land into that pass. I will lead the assault and I will bring all survivors back to their homes under personal guard. I cannot guarantee your life, but I can guarantee your victory. All that are with me!" he held up his fist. "ARU!" he roared. The resounding wave of battle cries was overwhelming. Not a single mouth was still, the cry even echoed over the walls of the city towards them. Eric turned back to the leading members, seeing their fists raised in agreement. All but Strife had responded, he just stood there, staring Eric down. "That is why we fight, Strife. We fight for our friends and family, not for glory or status." The pony spat on his chest.

"Then you die a fool, Firebird," he said, walking around him. "I learned early on that not all is as it is spoken, that peace could not exist without chaos and all is not good in this world. Your arrival and ascension to legend proves this further," the pony's horn glowed as a blade rose and darted toward Eric. Eric raised his gauntlet and caught the blade, taking it and twisting it out of shape. "You are not immortal, there is talk but it is naught but rumor. You can die like any of us here." He turned around again, looking back at him. "I will fight, but I fight for myself and myself alone." And with that he walked away.

"Do you think we can trust him Leonidas?" Leoj asked him, walking up beside him. He held the twisted blade in his hand, dropping it again. "An enemy with nothing to lose is a dangerous foe." Eric looked at him sideways.

"He isn't an enemy," Eric said. "he is an ally with nothing to gain and everything to lose. This makes him a liability." Eric turned around and faced the maps. "Give me topography reports on this and a sandbox. I need to know everything before I lead half of fucking Canterlot to their deaths. And Leoj," the immortal sidled up to him. "I want you to lookout for that unicorn when we deploy. Make sure he makes it home in one piece."

**Wow, a little 300-ish right? Oh well, it was a fucking great movie :P**

**Anyhow, how is Eric going to take his predicament? Did I spell the Spartan king's name right? **

**ALLTHIS AND MORE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**Mat and Sapphire property of Bahamut Crisis Core.**

**Leoj Clocktum and Little Strife property of Timefather64.**

**Night Forge property of Najee. **


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER! **

**I'm getting really tired of this shit… -.-**

**Three chapter update guys, just sayin...**

Eric stood on the mountain overlooking Ponyville and the Everfree. The meat puppets had not been needed, the undead had began marching towards Canterlot as they were being prepared. Sapphire wanted to know how he was able to predict the movement so easily, but he didn't say, causing suspicion to arise. She stood beside him, gaping at the sheer number of enemies. "This really is like Thermopile." She commented, her eye and Eric's display showing the number rise to thirty thousand. "With only three thousand ponies," she stopped, finally losing her cool. "There is no way we can win!" She held her palms against her temples, trying to force back the terror.

"**We do what we planned two months ago,**" Eric said, pulling her to her feet and slapping her on the face. She snapped out of her daze, rage building inside. "**We hold the line here until the city evacuates. Then we pull out to Canterlot. Then we wait until the army breaches the walls and make our last stand as humans, protecting Celestia until out last breaths.**" Sapphire nodded, saluting him. He returned the gesture.

"It's been an honor to fight beside you, Firebird." She said, dropping her arm. She hadn't saluted anyone or knelt to anypony since arriving with her stepbrother. Eric knew this was the greatest respect she could give next to her life. Eric nodded and picked her up.

"**And you, Bolts**," he said before launching into the air and carrying her down the mountain and into the pass. They landed as the sun crept behind the range, the shadowed pass becoming dark. "**Talon!**" Eric called into the mass of Phalanx formed ponies. Each one held a shield in their left hoof, a spear in their right and a sword at their waist. It was primitive, but bound to be more effective against unarmed combatants like the zombies. Mat ran up and saluted, his eyes a glowing blue with yellow flecks filling them as his energy rose within him. "**How long is the trek to Canterlot from here?**" Eric had a plan to free himself of the shadow god, but it needed time to pull off.

Mat looked at him with green eyes for a moment, before blinking and returning them to blue. "At their current pace, a month," he shrugged. "Give or take a few days. If your planning what I think you are, it has to happen exactly after we teleport back to Canterlot." Eric nodded and dismissed him. Eric wore the red striped of leadership among the sea of steel and gunmetal. He turned around as the first of the undead came around the curve. They filed forward into a formation, readying their attack on the fresh meat before them.

"Strife is ready," Leoj said beside Eric. "When you command, he will launch every weapon in his control at a designated target." Eric nodded and dismissed him also. He stood before the ranked earth ponies, ready to give the defense orders.

He paced toward the center of the formation, preparing to rally their morale. When he reached the center, he turned to face them. "**Today, we fight to protect what is ours**," he began, his voice amplified tenfold over the loudspeaker as he walked up and down the line. "**You will give no quarter to them! You will show extreme prejudice when ranks are broken! If a rank is broken, do not, I repeat not, follow the one before you into the fray! Hold this line to the best of your ability, and retrieve your spear when it is lost! If you do break rank, pull your sword and attack! Remember your training, and you will make it out of this alive! Come home with your shield, or on it**!" Eric stopped pacing and faced the legion of ponies before him. "**Give them nothing!**" he raised a fist into the air. "**But take from them everything! ARU! ARU!**"

The reply was louder than the speech. The ponies slapped their spears against their shields, stomping their hooves on the ground and shouting "ARU, ARU, ARU!" Behind Eric, a solitary zombie lunged. Eric released a rod from his armor, grabbing it and activating the blade of plasma. He turned, swinging the dagger up into the skull of the zombie. He brought the body down, removing the blade and cutting the head from the body. He held it up in the air, facing the enemy and roaring a battle cry before throwing it into the mass of rotting enemies.

The first wave of zombies charged as Eric took to the sky. From his point he watched as twenty zombies impacted on the shields of the ponies, pushing the first seven ranks back. The ponies lashed out with their spears, landing death blows to the enemies they had tossed back from them. The first rank took their position again, readying the line once more.

Another wave charged, this time containing fifty enemies. The mass of disease impacted, knocking over the first two ranks and pressing against the third. The zombies stood on the shields of the ponies, unaware of the death that awaited them. The forty ponies on the ground rose their shields, casting the zombies off from the mountain side towards the cliff to the right. As the last one fell from the cliff face, the ponies stood. The second rank had raised their shields, but the first was too slow. The entire visible enemy charged toward the ponies, killing three of the twenty unshielded ponies. They followed Eric's advice, dropping their spears into the zombies and drawing their swords. They fought through as best they could, but Eric could see their number dwindle.

"Talon, Bolts, on me!" he shouted into his radio before diving in, his mini-gun releasing a wave of hot lead. Mat and Sapphire joined him as he guided the ponies away from the carnage. "**Get them to the back Talon, tend to the wounded and rejoin me! Bolts, defend them until he has them to safety!**" Eric stared down the one hundred zombie detachment, his plasma blades flaring to life just before the launchers armed. "Attack!" he cried, charging into the fray.

Eric sliced with the blades, blasting the heads off of any that stuck to them with the launchers. He impaled and crushed, burned and slashed. He used the equipment to full effect, him and Sapphire having cleared the field as a two trolls lumbered into view. The trolls towered over them, being as broad as a dragon and twice as vicious. They had gray, bumpy skin and reeked of stagnant sweat and rotting meat. Eric roared as he charged towards the lead troll, knowing the ponies would be devastated by the two. He pilled the knife he had used earlier, jumping into the air with a boost from his thrusters. He dug the plasma blade into the trolls thigh, launching two bolts of plasma into its knee from his boots and separating the lower half at the joint. Eric pulled the blade from the monster, rising into the air as the creature tumbled down the cliff.

Sapphire heard Eric roar as he charged the monster, watching him quickly dispatch it and rise into the sky, pelting the other with lead from his guns. She knelt and activated the launcher in her right leg. The beast swatted at Eric, distracted long enough for her to line up a shot. She fired, the pop signaling Eric to move away. The 40mm grenade landed in the beast's head, right between its eyes. It exploded, black gore spraying the field and landing on both of them. The monster stumbled forward, falling from the cliff and following the other to the bottom.

They retreated into the ranks of ponies as another wave approached. They heard the crashing of steel as they entered the medical bivouac. Strife was levitating fifteen spears, waiting on him to order the launch. "Have you changed you mind yet as to why you're fighting?" he asked. Strife remained silent, focused on his task. The two walked farther into the camp, stopping among the five wounded ponies. One was having the stump of a leg cauterized, screaming in agony from the burning. There was another having his torso wrapped and another being injected with the serum Eric had developed. The bones snapped into place as the needle was removed, the pony seizing up on the cot and screaming to his gods for relief.

"An ugly sight, isn't it?" Nurse Redheart asked as she finished stitching up a gash in a ponies side. "I would have thought this place would be filled before now," she said, dropping the stitching needle in an alcohol bath. "But they all want to return to the field, fight for their home." She looked up at him. "You are their leader now, Firebird. They would overthrow the princesses for you and are dedicated to fighting here until they die." She walked away, pushing a cart of supplies. Eric sat on a cot, taking off his helmet and running a hand through his now shoulder length hair. It had been two months since Dash was taken, two months of slogging through gore and guts to fight enemies that were meant to be a distraction from the real goings on.

"Two fucking month of this and I'm worshiped as a god," he muttered shaking his head. "These ponies are crazy." He looked up to see Mat carrying a colt that was barely of age back towards the teleportation station. Eric clenched his jaw at the sight of the limp pony. He had blood on his hands. Not just that of the enemy, but also every pony he had led into combat that had died. He was barely past his twenty fourth birthday and already he had nothing but death to look forward to each day. "I am tired and sick of war," he said, looking up at Sapphire through his bangs. She seemed to find humor in the statement.

"General Sherman," she said with a chuckle. "He was quoted with that after burning many a confederate U.S. city." Eric stared at her with out humor. "Sorry, couldn't help myself," she defended. Eric put his helmet back on and patted her on the shoulder as he passed. She knew what it meant, back to the line.

Eric took to the sky as she jumped her way along the mountain side. Above the field, he could see that two ranks had broken, only this time they were winning. They had formed a wall of shields and were forcing the enemy back to the edge. "**ARU! ARU!**" he called out over the field. The ponies responded in kind, putting a surge of energy into their defensive. They rushed forward, tossing the zombies over the cliff with their shields. One pony lost his footing, sliding off the edge. Eric rushed down, catching the falling pony and returning him to the field. "**What's your name son?**" he asked before placing him back with his rank.

The pony beamed at Eric's act of heroism towards him. "Ensign Iron Hoof, Sir!" he Said, hefting his shield as Eric gave him a red shafted spear. Eric nodded, looking back among the dead for the previous rank leader. He took off his helmet and set it on Iron's head. The red bristles standing up in the center of the dome.

"**Nice work holding that rank together corporal**," he said as he took back up to the sky. "**All of you! Follow this colts example! Do not rush blindly at the enemy! Form a defense and hold them off until you can make it out safely!**" Eric turned and raised his fists, firing into the advancing wave of enemies with his small caliber rounds. He landed perfect headshots with each one, causing the monsters to fall over each other. The sounds of snapping necks could be heard as they tumbled forward. "**Hold the line!**" Eric cried as he rose into the sky.

Steel clashed onto flesh and bones split as the enemy impacted on the wall. Eric took this chance to observe the troops. Their original three thousand ponies had dwindled to a little over twenty-five hundred. Rising further, he observed the enemy. They were moving a dragon up before the next wave, setting up to charge with the hundred foot beast. 'I hope we can hold out until the city is cleared,' he thought as the number held fast at twenty five thousand zombies on hold. Eric began to hatch a plan, he readied the 40mm rifle on his right shoulder, flying to a mountain side away from the fight and landing. He knelt down onto his hands and knees, crawling towards the edge of a cliff before grasping the outcrop he was on.

"Load high explosive incendiary rounds," he said as the targeting system singled out the Trolls and Dragons. He had fifteen rounds for twenty targets. Eric clenched the outcrop in his hands as the massive rifle launched a round toward a dragon with a thunderous report. The round released four fins, flying along a set trajectory. The round impacted just below the upright dragons jaw, bursting in its neck and detaching the head. He continued until his ammo was depleted, taking out all the dragons and half of the trolls. "I guess that will have to do," he said, readying an overcharge in his launchers and releasing the globs of plasma into his hands.

He leapt into the sky, diving towards the ground and bursting into Mach two before pulling up toward the encroaching horde. Eric tossed the globs into the army, firing two more out of his boots before back flipping and flying away. The four blobs exploded in a massive fireball, sending a troll and a hundred zombies into the air, their bodies burning and melted from the heat. He made a round about pass, checking the line before raising his palms. He released a torrent of supercharged energy into the enemy, emptying his remaining mini-gun rounds. His HUD flashed a heat warning, forcing him to fly away to the line again.

The first two ranks of soldiers had surrounded a manticore, walling it in and jabbing at it with spears. Eric watched as it batted at the ponies, knocking a couple back before they returned with their shields raised. "Talon," he called over the radio. "I hear you have a thing against manticores." Eric cut the line, watching as a green and black spot launched over the ranks and landed hard on the beasts head, driving it into the ground with a thud. Mat grabbed the monster behind its jaws, reaching up and tearing off its tail as it tried to sting him. He tossed the stinger away, digging his claws into the beasts jaw and pulling hard. Eric watched as the super soldier ripped the manticores massive head from its neck, casting it into the approaching wave of zombies and bowling half of them over the side of the three hundred foot cliff. "You might wanna try for a spare," Eric joked over the radio as Mat grabbed the dead creatures tail and spun it around. He released the body into the remaining wave, sending them and the corpse over the edge with the rest.

"Eric," he heard Mat call over the radio. "Me and Sapphire can handle this here, the ponies trust us. Go search the Everfree like you wanted. Aerial observation shows that the undead have left the forest and are all converging here." Eric nodded to the man and flew off. He had heard tale of a zebra that lived in the forest named Zecora. If she was still alive, he had to get her out.

Eric landed outside a hollowed tree, the forest seeming to try and swallow him. "This place gives me the creeps," he said to himself. Eric walked up to the door, finding it whole and unlocked. He walked in, getting hit in the face with something extremely hard. His optic systems were out for the moment as the suit repaired itself. "Sonar now!" he said, sending out pulses into the room. The area was mapped quickly, Eric looking around for the assailant. "**Zecora. I'm here to help,**" he said into the room over the speaker. "**I'm here to get you to safety.**"

Eric was hugged suddenly by a zebra with a Mohawk and gold rings around her neck. "Thank the Gods you have come," she said, letting go of him. "I thought for sure that my life was done." She spoke in rhyme, which made Eric feel uneasy. "Quickly, let us go," sh said again. "How long the dead will be away, I do not know." Eric nodded and picked her up.

"**Hold on tight,**" he said before launching into the air. He flew as smoothly as he could, rising above the trees and hilltops. "**I have to get you to the refugee camp in Baltimare,**" he informed. "**It isn't too far from here, but when I drop you off I have to leave. The soldiers are waiting for me.**"

Within the hour, Eric had dropped Zecora at Baltimare, taking forty-five minutes because he couldn't go too fast. On the return, he kicked it into overdrive; reaching speeds in excess of mach four. He buzzed the path, strafing the enemy with plasma bursts as he went. Eric landed in the battleground as another wave approached. "**With me!**" he yelled, signaling the first four ranks to break and follow him in. Eric activated all of the plasma blades he had, scoring the ground as he ran into the fray of a hundred zombies. Eric was met by Iron Hoof and Leoj, hacking through the mass with their blades. Eric stabbed into in the forehead of a zombie, slashing down into another's neck. He leapt forward, kneeing one in the head with his spikes.

Leoj and Iron Hoof stood back to back, letting the enemy come to them. They slashed through the masses, decapitating an enemy with every blow. Leoj downed another enemy, raising his Webley and firing it in the classic form, holding his rapier by his side. He emptied the chamber, opening it and releasing the spent casings. His gauntlet loaded another six rounds before ha began firing again. Iron Hoof slashed up into another zombie, splitting it open from the neck up. "We can't hold them!" He called to Eric who was firing his barrels into the halved enemy force. "Sir! We need to fall back!"

Eric fired his weapons, every one. He had been surrounded in the fray, over a hundred zombies now closing in on him. he watched as the bolts of plasma and small caliber bullets decimated their target, only to be replaced by another. "Fall back!" he yelled. "Fall back and take up rank again!" Eric searched through his weapons for something useful, something that could turn the tide of a lost battle. "C'mon, give me something," he coaxed the systems while kicking back a zombie that got to close. He found something as the wave of undead piled onto him and knocked him over.

"Shit," Mat muttered as he watched the mound of undead assault their prey. He just watched Eric get overrun and covered, not lifting a finger as it happened. "First three! On me!" he called out to the ponies before beginning to advance. He stopped when he felt the ground shake. "Avalanche! Back, Back!" he yelled as he backed away from the mound. A bright light shone through the gaps in the undead before the mound of corpses burst into flame. Eric stood up from the circle of ashes taking to the air before flying over the edge of the cliff.

"This should hold them," he said to himself before planting a dozen plasma charges to the mountain side. Eric rose above the mountain, counting the number of zombies left. There were ten thousand more alive, still outnumbering the remaining thousand ponies. "this is Firebird to all call-signs," he said over the radio. "Pull out, I repeat, pull out and back to Canterlot." He turned around, flying back to the tents. He landed among the rush of ponies trying to get back to the teleportation site, turning to watch as four trolls lumbered around the bend. He waited until they were above the charges, detonating them and entering the circle drawn out by the twenty unicorns. The mountain shook, sections of the path falling away under the approaching monsters. The entrance to the pass collapsed, blocking the remaining forces from sight before a white light engulfed the soldiers.

"You want me to what?" Celestia screamed in her throne room. Eric stood before the Alicorn with his helmet at his side. "You suggest that I remain behind while the undead beat on my door? What kind of fool do you take me for Firebird?" She stared at him, watching as he refused to flinch or yield.

"It is all part of the plan," Eric explained. "The leader conversed with me about its intentions to return Luna into Nightmare Moon," he lied, trying to gain her cooperation. "When the undead attack Canterlot, they will also attack Night forge. The precautions put forth by Shining Armor shall prevent that from bearing fruit to them, thus leaving all of the forces in the area to come to the abandoned Canterlot. When the time arises, the leader will show itself and we will kill it." Eric shuffled in place, adjusting the weight of his armor. Sometime during the battle, a balance connection must have been loosened. The suit liked to drift to the sides when he walked, now resting on his right shoulder and throwing his weight off. He righted it with a shrug, making a mental note to fix the malfunction.

Celestia leaned back in her seat, contemplating his plan. It seemed fluid enough to bypass any countermeasures. "Fair enough, knight." She said with a nod. "I shall remain behind while my sister goes to Night Forge and stays behind Shining Armor's barrier." She stood and turned toward the room her sister slept in. "But," she said, stopping in her tracks. "I want you, Eric, to examine the area and make sure that there is no possible way that barrier can be breached other than by brute force." Eric bowed, turning and walking out as Celestia went to inform her sister.

"Eric," he heard a pony call when he left the castle walls. He turned around, looking for the herald. He spotted Keith and Twilight approaching from the east, followed by the other Element Wielders. He waved to them as they walked toward him through the crowd, smiling and seating himself on the stoop of a boarded house. "Eric, we've been trying to get in touch with you ever since Rainbow Dash told us about you two," Twilight said, giving him a hug. "I'm sorry about you having to go through this." She finished, patting him on the back before stepping back.

Eric shrugged, wobbling in his seat as the armor shifted again. He reached down to his leg, pulling out the cylinder and activating the suit's compression function. "It's ok, Twilight," Eric said, lifting the chest piece over his head and looking into it, there was a suspension strap that had split halfway through. "It gives me something to fight for," he told them, pulling the strap from its fittings and tossing it aside. "If that thing had told me it had killed her, I would have lost it and burned the whole place down in a fit of insane rage." The ponies seemed to be surprised that anything other than a Draconiquis or an unintelligent monster could have so much anger in them.

Twilight and the ponies laughed nervously, save for Keith. "You're just trying to make light of the situation, right?" Twilight asked. Keith lowered his head, awaiting Eric's inevitable reply. Eric simply shook his head as he tightened a bolt inside of his chest piece. He slipped it on and prodded a few areas of the suit until it fit correctly. He pulled the cylinder and pressed it in without turning it, letting it cover his body once more.

"Not at all," he said as the suit quieted. All the ponies but AJ gasped in surprise, Keith walking away and standing from the conversation. "I'm not a peaceful being, girls. Humanity is possibly the most violent race in the universe." He pulled out an Allen Wrench, tightening a few lugs on his gauntlet and elbow. "But, that being said, most of us are extremely just. We don't like it when another being kills for fun." He switched hands and worked on his left arm, noticing a missing lug. "So the good humans, are only really violent so they can protect the weak from the evil madmen." They seemed to understand. "I just can't wait to wrap my hands around that sick being's neck and choke the life from it."

Twilight turned around and walked to her husband, noticing he was looking kind of down. A white unicorn, Rarity if he remembered right, walked up and gave him something. "I thought that I might make you something interesting," she said, opening the bag she had set at his feet. She pulled out a white cloak with a hood. It looked to be big enough to cover a small car. "Now before you say no, this is not just a cloak." She draped it over his shoulders and pulled the hood up. "Pull it shut." She said with a smile.

Eric gave her a strange look, but did it anyway. He grabbed the edges of the cloak, pulling it around himself. His body vanished within a second, the hood wrapping around to cover his face. He could still see out of the fabric. "Woah," he said as he let go and it returned to normal. "How does it work? I made something like this once, but it was burned up in a lab fire." Rarity smiled and lifted the article from his shoulders.

"I enchanted this for you," she said as she cinched the bag shut and set it on his lap. "I know you aren't much for fashion, and I decided I could be helpful and still give you a little something with some style. I though white would look good on you," she said, sighing. "I know it does on Leoj." Eric had to suppress a smile, hoping she didn't have a crush on Soarin's boy. Rarity was about to give him a hug, but noticed the zombie blood that still caked his chest. She returned to all fours, extending a hoof instead. Eric chuckled and thanked her, shaking her hoof before she went to go join Twilight and Keith.

A pink pony approached him next. He stared at her and she stared right back. They stayed like that for a moment before a wide grin spread across the ponies face. "Hiya!" she said in a cheery voice. "I'm Pinky Pie, normally I would be throwing you a party but this is different." She rummaged around in her saddlebags and produced box, one foot by one foot. "I made you this for saving Fluttershy, she's one of my bestest friends and I'm so happy you got her away from that mean old Chrysalis." Eric took the box from her and opened it.

Inside was a double layer cake with white and red frosting. Written in red frosting was the words 'Thank you and welcome to Equestria!'. "I know it's no excuse for not giving you a party, but I had to make you a little gift." The present made Eric smile. This had been the most normal thing he had seen since arriving here. It reminded him of how his mother would bake a fresh cake for him on his birthday, smiling the whole day just for him. "I hope you enjoy it," Pinky added, giving him a hug. Eric held his arms out before returning the hug.

She went to join the others as the purple and green lizard from some of his dreams. The lizard smiled and held out its claws. "Hey, I'm Spike." The obviously male lizard said. Eric shook with him, getting a jewel the size of his fist afterward. "I had Twilight enchant this for you." He explained. "It's supposed to show you where you're needed the most, and it also can lead you to what you want more than anything. Just hold it flat in your hand and follow the point." Eric held the gem in his palm, letting it turn around before pointing in a single direction. He followed the point with his eyes, seeing it pointed to Applejack. She was scuffing her hoof in the dirt, looking down nervously.

Spike walked over to Twilight, climbing on her back. Fluttershy floated up to him, her demure expression unchanging as she gave him a box with holes in it. "I-it's a puppy," she said quietly. "I- I thought you might want a pet, s-so I picked the sweetest little Doberman I had." She lifted the lid off, revealing a sleeping dog no older than a month. "Rainbow Dash told me about how you like dogs, and I thought maybe you would want one. If it's ok with y… Oh my goodness!" Eric pulled her into a soft hug, causing her to blush slightly.

"Thanks, Fluttershy," he said, letting her go. "But I can't take care of the puppy right now, I have to go make sure Night Forge is safe soon." He closed the box carefully and gave it back to her. "Would you take care of the little guy for me?" he asked her. "I really like him, I just need somepony to watch him for me until I get back." Fluttershy smiled and nodded, floating over to her friends with the puppy. Eric stood up and lifted his helmet into his hands, the gifts secured in pouches across his stomach. He walked over to AJ, Kneeling down to eye level. "What's wrong, cowgirl?"

She looked up from the ground, bags heavy under her eyes. "Can Ah talk to y'all in private?" she asked. Eric looked back over at the others and nodded. He followed her about a hundred yards away and stopped in front of her. "Ah have ta ask y'all somethin'," she said, seeming to be on the verge of tears. "Mah brother, Big Macintosh, rejoined the Peacekeeper Corp when them darn creatures started raiding our farm." She paused, gaining her composure again. "He was lost durin' the guardin' ah Night Forge. His buddies came back and gave me his helmet, tellin' me he went in to check out a cave and it was the only thing they found. Ah now he's alive, Big Mac's too stubborn ta die. Ah think them monsters took 'em and are holdin' him pris'ner." She scuffed her hoof on the paving stones again.

"Ah made y'all somethin for savin' Fluttershy too," she reached around into her saddlebags and pulled out a round, cloth wrapped object with her teeth. She laid it on the ground in front of him and carefully unwrapped it. It was a curved plate of metal, just like the faceplate on Eric's suit. It was hand hammered and looked like a skeleton's face. She reached into the other bag and pulled out another one. This one was shaped like the back of his helmet only with a human skeleton motif. It was Damascus style, the ripples of dark carbon weaved between the white metal. Eric picked them both up, turning them over in his hands to make sure they were functional. They were, the display seeming to be the same as the one he currently had.

"Ah made those for ya," she said. "Ah hammered the metal myself at the forge in town. It ain't what Ah'm best at, but Ah'm pretty good. It comes from makin' plows and farm tools over th' years for the orchard, ah guess. Ah made 'em out o that tit'num stuff y'all seem to like so much. So it won't rust or get worn down by the weather." She looked him in the eyes. "Ah had the feller with the claws put them techno doo-dads on it, so it should work good'nough ah guess. Go on, try it. all ah want in return is for y'all to bring mah brother home ta be buried at th' farm." She gave him a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. "Stay safe, Eric. Ah don't want y'all ta disappear too." She turned around and walked back towards the group of ponies.

Eric put the helmet together and slipped it over his head. The display flashed to life, bringing up the usual information. It worked better than the one he made, the visual feed being lightning quick and not blurring when he turned his head. Eric stood up, taking the helmet he made and firing a burst of plasma into it to fry the tech it held. He dropped the ruined metal in a trash bin, walking over to the ponies. "Hey Applejack," he said. "I'll get him out of there, don't worry." Eric walked over to Keith. "You take care of these girls, Jarhead," he said. "If any of them get hurt on your watch, I'll have you court marshaled." The pony smirked, knowing he was joking. "I have to go, you girls take care." Eric backed up and waved to them, taking off as they waved back.

Eric landed in Night Forge, a section of dark wood, swamp and mountains. "I didn't think anywhere could be this dark at noon," he said to himself. Eric brought up his radio and set the sonar to map out the area. "Shining Armor, come in. This is Firebird, over." he waited and viewed the map in his helmet. There were caves galore, but one caught his attention. It seemed to tunnel deep into the mountains.

"This is Shining Armor," the reply came. "Welcome to Gloom County," the unicorn said. him and Eric had talked about entertainment some, Eric bringing up an old comic strip in the newspapers. "Luna told me you would be here to check out the surrounding area before the undead arrived. Carry on Firebird." Shining Armor cut the link. Eric followed the map to the cave of interest. It was set in a small mound of earth, looking more like large warren than a cave. He pulled the silenced assault rifle from his thigh, releasing the latches. He unfolded the stock and pulled down the handle, locking them into position before loading. He pulled the action, letting it go. His sonar picked up several hollow objects in the cave as he attached an EOTech sight to the top rail. As it singled out creatures from fluctuation points, he attached an ultraviolet laser, an underslung shotgun, and an infrared flashlight to the carbines forward rails. The display was marking living obstructions now, marking them as round yellow points on the map.

Eric turned on his Infrared sensors and stepped into the cave, his rifle raised as he stalked through the hole. The Mini-gun slid back over his thrusters along with the 40mm rifle, giving him more maneuverability as he activated the floodlight on his rifle. The cave lit up with a gray light, looking like an old black and white TV display. The HUD marked five targets around a few corners, continuing its process. Eric walked around the main entrance, looking for any clues as to Big Macintosh or any other living ponies. He found some tracks that seemed rather large for a pony, deciding they must be Big Mac's. he followed them quickly into the cave, finding they stopped at the first turn. The tracks picked up again, now drag marks leading deeper into the cave.

Eric ducked out from cover, looking into the tunnel. There were two zombies stumbling in the dark, just like the map said. He fired bursts of three into their skulls, brains and bone bursting under the force of the 30-06 rounds. He entered the narrow tunnel fully, finding it a perfect murder hole. 'If I was a crazy god, I would definitely give my minions machine guns here.' Eric thought as he peeked around the corners. They faced opposite directions, perpendicular to the one he was on. Eric looked at the tracks, finding they continued to the right. He turned the rifle up and down the tunnel. There were two more zombies away from where he needed to go and one more where he needed to go. Eric stalked to the other half of the tunnel, holding the rifle in his right and readying a burst of plasma with his left. He gained a lock with his launcher and sighted in the rifle. He fired twice into the pair, launching the burst after they wee finished. The sound of sizzling flesh filled the tunnel as Eric followed the tracks deeper.

He had killed over fifteen zombies since entering, having navigated the tunnels until he was under the mountain ranges. He was on the horns of a dilemma now, the tunnel he was following having become a honeycomb of paths. Each one had the same drag marks he was following, leaving him to pick his brain for a decision. He was thinking about following them all, but his HUD gave him an alert. The sonar had founded two living marks, ten hostiles surrounding them. He pulled the gem Spike had given him and thought about his promise to AJ. The stone pointed directly to where the sonar indicated. Eric was about to put the stone away, but had another idea.

Eric held the jewel in his palm, shining the infrared light on it. He thought about Dash now, the stone turning and facing the same way. 'Jackpot,' he thought, joy filling him. But a moment later it hit him like a brick. 'Oh shit,' Eric had found the shadow god's lair, and he was going back on their deal if he tried to release her. the HUD made another message. The tunnel behind him lead directly into Night Forge Castle, apparently going unnoticed in a forgotten recess from its days as a haven for the commoners during war. He put the stone away, sitting against the wall and flooding the area in IR light by activating the flashlight's bulb function.

He had a chance to save his love, rescue a friend, and save a city. But if he did those things, the shadow god would kill him, Rainbow Dash and most likely all of the ponies in Equestria. "To kill a god," Eric sighed into his helmet. The idea didn't seem so farfetched. There are many a legend of men killing deities and immortal beings, usually through trickery of exploitation of a magical weapon. But Eric was a normal man, with normal weapons. He was no Perceus, he was no Hercules, nor was he magically inclined in any way, shape, or form. All he had was a suit of armor, bullets, plasma and steel. "the one thing they all shared," he mumbled, trying to find it out. "They all had Divine help,"

Eric laughed at the idea, there was no way he could do it. he didn't even believe in all powerful gods and goddess that could raise the sun, bring back the dead or any of… "Wait," he remembered what Keith had said. Eric had been touched by two gods. "Maybe all hope isn't lost," Eric said as he began to work his way to the tunnel that he needed to collapse.

**Alright! So what do you guys think, Good enough? I sure hope so. Sorry about the sparse updates, I'm planning on posting two or three each time and updating twice a week if possible. No longer having Internet at the house means I don't get on often.**

**Leoj Clocktum and Little Strife are property of and used with the permission of Timefather64.**

**Mat and Sapphire are property of and used with the permission of Bahamut Crisis Core.**

**Night Forge is property of and used with the permission of Najee.**


	10. Chapter 10

**MLP is owned by Hasbro and Lauren Faust. Not me. I'm too poor :)**

To Kill A God…

Eric dug the plasma blade into the wall of the tunnel, trying to find the fault line he knew all tunnels had. They all had a weakness, one that would destroy the whole network if it went off. There was a snap, then the sound of rocks grinding together. He had found it. Eric twisted the blade in two directions, making a hole a foot deep. He repeated the process, following the crack that had revealed itself. He made a second pass, placing C-4 in all the holes until they were filled. He took some dirt and pressed it into the explosive putty, disguising it to all but the most trained eyes. "Shining Armor, come in." Eric waited for the reply, crouching behind a rock as a couple zombies passed by farther away.

"What's up Firebird?" Shining Armor asked over the COM-link. Eric explained the situation quickly, informing him to evacuate the main fortress incase the tunnel pulled some of it down with it. he also explained the ponies trapped, not mentioning names. "Affirmative. Continue with the rescue and exfiltration Firebird. I'll begin the evac topside. Tell me when you have them out." Eric cut the line and watched the tunnel. Nothing was moving that he could see, and the sonar confirmed. All the targets were still again.

Eric left his cover, moving silently down the hole toward the two ponies. He came across two zombies walking side by side in front of him. Eric projected his blades, the crackle of electricity causing the two to turn around. he swung wide cutting clean through their necks and imbedding the blade in the tunnel wall. He deactivated the blade as the bodies fell, followed by their heads. Eric grasped the handle of his rifle again, continuing down the tunnel as he neared the chamber he was looking for.

Eric exited the tunnel, sweeping his rifle throughout the all and watching the gray visual from the IR for movement. He noticed a torch burning and shut off his invisible light, turning his standard visuals to function. Against the far wall was a cage, a disheveled looking red horse chained to the wall. Eric approached the cage, looking at the horse. He activated the cutting torch attached to the side of his hand, using it to cut through the bars. The red horse was awakened by the sound of the electric arc cutter slicing the metal, the slag falling onto the ground with a sizzle.

"Y'all here to help us?" the stallion asked him in a deep voice. Eric nodded, the torchlight refusing to reach his figure. "Ah can't see y'all, but if ya're, take care o' the others firs'. Ah know what Ah signed up fer'." Eric stopped cutting and activated his speakers.

"**Where are they?**" he asked. the stallion motioned with his head to Eric's left and hung his head again, obviously exhausted. Eric turned and walked away towards the other torch. Inside the cage was a blue Pegasus, chained to the floor by black steel. Eric extended a wrist blade and laid it against the iron bars, the squall of burning metal resounding through the room. The Pegasus looked up, dried blood coating its face.

"Who's there?" She asked, terror in her voice. "Stay away! Don't do it again! Please!" she crouched down and covered her head with her hooves. Eric continued to cut through the metal, knowing stealth didn't matter anymore as his Sonar showed ten hostiles running through the tunnels toward him. Eric slammed his shoulder against the bars, knocking them in before stepping through the hole. The Pegasus looked up at him as he entered the light of the torch. Her eyes widened at the sight of the human skull looking down at her, letting out a scream.

"**Dash, It's me. Calm down.**" Eric tried to calm her, raising the faceplate. Dash looked at Eric's face, fear falling away. "Come on," he said. "I have to get you out of here." He activated the plasma blades again, lifting her hoof and bringing it down on the chains. Dash screamed in pain as he did.

"Stop!" she screamed, causing him to pull the blade back. "Their enchanted to hurt me if I try to get away, It's no use Eric." She laid back down, crying. He looked at her, finding her will broken and her eyes dulled. "They cut me open Eric," she said, crying harder. "I felt them cut me open and pull something out of me. I don't know what it was, but…" Eric put a hand over her mouth, shaking his head as he let go of the chains, lifting her hoof.

"It's ok, Dashie," he said. "We can talk when I get you out, trust me. Now this is going to hurt," he warned. "But it should let you slip out of the cuffs. I'll have to carry you out though." She nodded and closed her eyes, clenching her jaw. Eric lowered his faceplate, letting the HUD show him a diagram of her skeletal structure. He raised his arm, bringing it down on the leg. The bone pulverized under the pressure, letting him slip the limb from the cuffs as she whimpered in pain. Eric did the like with the others, picking her up and carrying her to the other ponies cage. Eric made two swipes with his blades, the bars falling with a clatter. He stepped into the cage, setting Dash down before grabbing the chain by the large ponies back leg.

Eric twisted a link until it snapped, letting the broken steel fall before doing the same with the other one. He snapped the link as ten zombies filed into the room. Eric turned around and raised his rifle, spraying the room with lead. The bodies fell, holes blown in their skulls. Eric activated the blades on his wrists, slicing through the chains in one movement. The horse fell to the ground, grunting before getting up and stumbling around. "**You good to walk out of here?**" he asked. the horse nodded. "**Can you carry her with you?**"

"Eeyup," the red pony said in a southern accent. Eric placed Dash on his back, gently letting go of her. they left the room, heading toward the tunnel that entered Night Forge Castle. Eric felt something watching him from behind, but each time he would look back there was nothing. They continued, Eric letting Big Mac go in front of him. Eric stepped up behind them as they left the caverns, entering a stone room. His feet were pulled out from under him, causing him to fall on his face.

"You betray me for the last time Slayer!" The growling voice of the shadow god screamed at him, beginning to engulf him in darkness. "I will rip you limb from limb and mount your dismembered corpse from the battlements of Canterlot!" Eric turned over to see a wickedly insane grin and glowing red eyes. "And you thought I was going to let you turn on me after you evacuated Canterlot, planned to have the sun goddess at power assist you in killing me. Foolish mortal, you will die!" the god came out of his shadow, revealing himself.

The being had a wolf's head and neck, the body of a winged dragon. Its arms and legs were those of a giant humans, a massive hand wrapping around his neck. "No," Eric snarled, pulling a silver blade from behind his waist. He dug the full ten inches into the god's side, bringing a howl of agony from him as the blessed metal began to burn inside of him. Eric jumped onto the deity, grasping him by the neck and pushing him back into the tunnels. "You will be the one to die!" he screamed before being engulfed in darkness again. the god shrouded them both in darkness, the black haze dissipating to reveal they both were gone.

Eric flew through the street, landing hard and sliding across the paving stones of Canterlot Square. The god landed on top of him, pulling his helmet from his head and tossing it aside. "Did you think this push pin could harm me, slayer?" he asked with a grin, holding the melted silver blade up to Eric's face. "Bah! You have not the ability to match me!" Eric activated his thrusters, launching out from under the god in the direction of his helmet. He stopped next to it, grasping the article and slamming it into place.

"**My kind are know for killing gods, monster,**" Eric said as he jumped to his feet. He activated his blades, spikes projecting across his armor from any place a hold could be gained. He pulled a rod from his waist, activating the four foot blade of energy. "**We're also know for inability to quit.**" He began to stalk in a circle, the god following mirroring his moments as he formed a black axe from the shadows of the setting sun.

"Bah! Killing gods. Have you concept of immortality?" the deity crouched slightly, preparing his offensive, "You cannot kill that which cannot die!" the monster jumped into the air, bringing the blade of his axe down toward Eric. Eric rolled forward, flames trailing the gouges in the stone from the spikes. Eric boosted from his jets, charging the monster and slicing him across the back. The Deity howled and landed a solid blow in Eric's armor, knocking him to the side. "You also cannot harm a shadow!" it screamed at him as he stood, black mist swirling across the deep gash in the gods back.

Eric raised his fist, firing all of the rounds stored in his gauntlet into the gods chest. The deity stumbled backward as the rounds impacted, shadow once again filling the wounds. Eric took the chance to charge again, slicing through the gods neck and taking to the sky above. The beheaded entity knelt and picked up its head, placing it on its shoulders again and turning to face him. 'That's a problem,' Eric thought. He pulled the weapons to his shoulders, firing fifty caliber rounds into the god. the monster took the lead without complaint, laughing at him all the while.

"You think your weapons can defeat me?" it asked him as he continued to empty his chain. The gun clicked and slowed its rotation, falling back over his shoulder. "You have not the ability to harm me, let alone kill me!" the god jumped into the air, slamming the flat of the double edged axe against his chest and sending him through a building. Eric landed in the next road, his plasma devices having been crippled by the blow to his electronics.

"**Ow**," he said in a deadpan, standing up and dropping his added weapons. The steel bands fell from his suit, clanging on the ground. "**I'm going to have to get smart fast**." Eric took to the sky again, trying to find the being once more. He turned around above the city, trying to spot the god. Eric felt large weights grasp his legs, creeping up to his chest and materializing as the wolf headed god.

"Fool," it said. "You still fight the inevitable." Eric began to charge his thrusters, the whine of the turbines growing louder. Eric grabbed the god by the chest, holding it in a vice.

"**I may not know when to quit,**" Eric said as the turbines became above the audible range. "**But I know you have to have somewhere to be to exist.**" He launched upward, his suit on auto pilot as he blacked out from the G's. Eric awoke in the upper atmosphere, the god fighting to be freed from Eric's grip. "**Now you die,**" he said, the speaker working hard to make him heard in the low amount of air. Eric flipped back, diving toward the ground as his suit flashed warning after warning.

"What are you doing?" the god screamed in terror as Eric approached light speed. "You could destroy the universe you fool!" Eric paid him no mind, having the suit burn a sliver of Devnium nine ten after he leveled out. the Speedometer rose like a rocket, flashing red on his display as he breached Mach 10. He kept going, trailing violet flames as the pair began to glow white. "No! You will destroy everything I worked towards!" the two burst into flame as they passed the light barrier. They were surrounded by a molten visage, red light ruling the area.

"**Good bye!**" Eric said before letting the god fall from his arms. A burst of light signaled his exit of the dimension. The god looked at the growing sphere of light, knowing what it could do. They had broken the dimensional barrier, entering the alterlands. The sphere burst, casting flames in all directions. The fire devoured everything, leaving black nothing behind in its wake.

"No! I will not be defeated by a mortal!" the god screamed as the flames engulfed his legs. The burning energy continued to devour the world around him, dark beasts fleeing from the blaze and screaming in terror. The god reached toward the nearest hand hold, trying to find a way out before the flames engulfed him completely.

Eric reappeared in Equestria with a burst of fire, the ring emanating from the ball of light they had left behind. He was burning as he descended towards the castle. "Oh, shit…" he moaned before locking his armor. Eric stiffened, impacting on the four foot thick stone walls and continuing on into the main building. He had slowed substantially, now bouncing across the polished marble floor and leaving dents twice the size of a man. He slammed into another wall a moment later, passing through it and sliding across the floor of the throne room.

Celestia jumped at the explosion, ducking for cover as a mass slid fast across the floor to her seat. The object slammed into her throne, launching and tumbling through the air toward the large stained glass mural. She cast a spell, halting the mass before it passed through the window and fell over two thousand feet to the rocks below. inside the sphere of magic was a charred and blackened suit of armor that she recognized immediately. "Eric!" she called out to him, trying to make sure he was awake. She set him on the floor, releasing the spell and walking towards his contorted and locked form. She saw a flashing light and pressed it, releasing the lock and letting his body go limp on the floor.

Eric reached up and lifted his helmet from its locks, rolling over and coughing up gray fluid from his lungs. The impact absorbent poured from several ports that opened when Celestia released the lock, spreading across the floor in a large puddle. "Ow," Eric gasped before falling back into a coughing fit. He regained his composure a moment later, sitting back and running his hands through his hair. "Send out the clean up crew, princess," he said, breathing heavily. "We won." He smiled and laughed raggedly, coughing afterwards as gel flew from his throat.

The Princess looked at him incredulously, not believing him. "How did you kill it?" she asked, lending him her shoulder so he could stand. Eric took the offer, rising to his feet before activating the compression systems. He walked forward, dropping his sleeves from their place and walking out of the boots. He lifted the chest plate and dropped it into the pile of parts.

"Even a god can't live when there is nothing," he said, panting from the adrenaline of the crash landing. "When light is broken and surpassed, a reality can be destroyed. I just passed dimensions and let one fall apart with him in it." Eric smiled and coughed again. "Now," he said, blinking hard. "I'm going to sleep for about a month. No visitors please." Eric laughed weakly before falling unconscious.

**Im just going to finish the update with the credits, sorry but my time is limited at the library :/**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer! MLP is owned by Hasbro and FIM is owned by Lauren Faust**

The Gala…

Eric stood in the foyer of the castle, dressed in a tuxedo and his blond shoulder length hair slicked back. The Grand Galloping Gala had been suspended for the war, the safety of its guests being placed above tradition. Eric always liked formal gatherings since he attained his position as the lead scientist at the age of seventeen, graduating from Ivy league with four Ph.D's in chemistry, aerodynamics, genetics and physics. He relished he class and always held a high standing, and teasing the single ladies was a perk as well. Eric was waiting with the princesses, greeting guests and accepting offers to visit nobility homes that he would never remember.

He shook the hoof of a pony from Manehattan, once more receiving an invitation to dine with the pony if he ever was in the area. Eric accepted the offer once more, releasing his hoof and letting the pony and his date pass into the main room. He leaned over to Celestia, talking in a low voice while there was a lull in the crowd. "I swear to all gods, if I get another invitation to Seaddle, I'm gonna go nuts." He finished with a small smile, shaking the hoof of another pony. The princess smirked and let out a snigger.

"Don't worry," she said, greeting another guest before continuing. "I see Rainbow Dash ahead, when she gets here you can go. Mat is also a knight and can handle the rest." Eric nodded, smiling and shaking the hoof of another noble, receiving an invitation again. He accepted deafly, watching as Dash ascended the stairs. She wore a dress in the Greek style, a golden wreath on her brow and the body having a rainbow pattern to match her mane and tail. Her sandals were made of gold, making no sound as she stepped on the marble steps carefully.

"Madam," Eric said, holding out his hand to help her up the final step. She smiled slightly and took his hand. "Are you feeling ok tonight?" he asked, having stayed by her side all the while she was recovering. She nodded and walked beside him into the banquet hall. "Are you sure?" he asked. "If you are still felling tired you should have stayed home."

"I'm fine, Eric," Dash said as he poured them both a glass of champagne. She took the drink, sipping from it slightly. "Honestly, you're going to worry yourself to death." Eric watched her, sipping his drink also as they walked through the dance hall. She had seemed different since he took her from the tunnels. She was always loud and confident, if cocky at times. But now she seemed to keep to herself mostly, preferring to stare out the window of their house than fly or do much of anything. Her eyes didn't shine anymore and her voice was soft and quiet, giving Fluttershy a run for her money.

"If there is anything on your mind, dear," Eric said, sitting beside her. "You know I will listen and talk with you about it." She remained silent, watching the few couples that were dancing alone on the floor. She seemed to have a longing look, like they had something she couldn't. "Dash, can you hear me?" Eric asked after five minutes of silence. She blinked and shook her head.

"I don't want to talk about it, Eric," she said quietly, finishing her drink and handing it to a steward pony as he passed by. "I wouldn't expect you to understand my situation if I did. And besides, this is the Gala. It's no place to talk about depressing subjects like the tunnels." Eric nodded, surrendering to her. She didn't know, or failed to remember what he told her about his past, but he did understand. He was alone in a world where the remaining humans only wanted to kill you and take what you had for over a year. He knew what it was like to have your will shattered by hopelessness.

They were met by Keith and Twilight, proceeding to make small talk. Keith left early into the conversation, saying he had to perform for a special time of the night. They said their good byes and watched as he walked off. They sat there, listening to the soft chamber music that the string quartet played for the time. Keith took the stage, leaning over a grand piano and tuning the strings slightly before joining the band in their tune. Eric held dash's hoof as a full orchestra took to the stage, tuning in their instruments quietly so as not to disturb the current tune. A gray pony walked up beside the Piano, setting a case down and removing a Contrabass. "Who is that?" Eric asked Twilight and Dash. They looked at the stage.

"That's Octavia," Twilight explained. "She plays with the band every Gala. She is the most respected Cellist in Equestria. She plays symphonies Equestria over, performing with some of the greatest classical musicians in the world." She plucked a few strings, adjusting the tension before lifting her bow and releasing a low note into the tune. Eric enjoyed the symphony back on earth before the fall, and he especially enjoyed the Cello. Octavia was good, without a doubt he was sure. She could have given Bach a challenge.

The ballroom had filled quickly, Celestia and Luna having entered the room. Their presence signaled that the last of the guests had arrived. They walked into the crowd, mingling with guests they knew and old friends. Eric had returned to the banquet hall at Dash's request, taking a small sandwich and a couple of flutes of champagne. "Eric!" he heard across the room. If it was another noble, he was going to go apeshit.

Eric turned around, finding it was Soarin and Leoj, the Pegasus in a black tux and Leoj in a White suit and tie with his ever present cloak. "Look at the happy couple!" Eric said louder than they would have liked. Soarin smiled weakly and, to Eric's surprise, Leoj actually blushed. "Is that a blush on the level headed madman's face?" Eric asked, handing both of them a glass of white wine.

"Oh, you have no idea," Soarin said, rubbing up against his date. "He isn't nearly as level headed as you think. Like that time on Tau Ceti four before we arrived here. He took me to watch a flight of Pteranodons migrate towards their nesting grounds, but we were chased back here by a therapuss or something." Soarin trailed off, taking a drink from his glass.

"It was a Therapod," Leoj corrected, getting Soaring to roll his eyes. "I've never had that much fun on a date in my life, and believe me, I have a long life. So how goes the Slayer of Gods? Anything interesting happen over the last month and a half while we were gone?" Leoj took a sip of the wine, grimacing and setting it on a stewards plate. "Forgot I hate white wine."

Eric shrugged and motioned towards where Dash was sitting. "I haven't really done much outside of home other than go out for groceries and to ba…" he cut himself off at the mention of hunting, getting a raised eyebrow from Soarin. "Harvest a few of the crops I planted in the delta a little way from the house." Soaring smirked and shook his head. "Dash has been recovering, but she seems to be broken. She doesn't want to do anything other than stare out the window and drink wine all day, which is fine if she wants to, but I'm just saying that she never flies anywhere anymore." Leoj nodded and motioned toward the dance hall.

"Celestia told you about the Mid-Knight's Dance I presume?" Eric nodded and watched as the Band began to retune their instruments and Keith adjusted his position. "It will be starting soon, you should go to her." Eric nodded and set the sandwich and Champagne down, starting toward the room. "And Eric," he stopped and turned around, raising his hands in a silent question. "Don't worry too much about Rainbow Dash, she just needs some time to figure things out for herself." Eric gave him a rather goofy thumbs up and went back into the ballroom.

A slow waltz was playing and some of the guests were dancing. Twilight had asked Celestia for a dance, remembering it was tradition to ask a mentor for the first dance. Eric made his way around the ponies to Dash, finding her still seated and watching the ponies dance. Sapphire and Mat sat next to her, talking about something. "Hey guys," Eric said as he approached. "What's up?"

They looked at him and shrugged. "Nothing really," Sapphire said. "Just talking to Dash about her dress. It's beautifully done, really." Eric was surprised to find the warrior into anything beyond a gun, but considering her attire he shouldn't have been. She wore a deep blue dress, her hair tied up in a braid. She wore several blue diamonds on a white choker band. Mat was similarly dressed, wearing a black and red suit and tie that looked like it was made out of silk. His hair had been styled and trimmed shorter, pulled back over his head so the golden lock in his bangs streamed back and to the right.

Celestia took the stage after the waltz ended, receiving a short applause. "Thank you, and welcome to this year's Grand Galloping Gala. I apologize for the delayed date, but as you all know we were fighting a war that threatened the safety of Equestria as a whole. I would like to thank all of you for coming, and if you would please direct your attention to the humans here today." Eric, Mat, Sapphire, Rainbow Dash, Leoj and Soarin walked to the edge dance floor, receiving applause from the nobles and salutes from the generals. "If not for these determined beings, we certainly would have been defeated. Now," she said, motioning to two ponies that were making their way onstage. "We have a special event tonight. But first, let us observe a moment of silence for the ponies that gave everything so we could be here today."

Everypony and human bowed their heads in respect. Eric counted up the toll in his mind, placing it at over ten thousand lives lost to fighting and over a hundred desecrated graves due to the shadow god. They raised their heads as one, awaiting the remainder of the princess' speech. "We have fought long and hard, and I believe a little merriment is in order to celebrate our victory. I give to you William Rosevine, and James Hayfield. The singers for the bands of Steel Shod and Illusions of Tomorrow." The two each approached the microphone stand, lowering it to themselves.

A choir walked onto the stage, setting themselves up beside the two singers. "We would like all of the ponies that have not been knighted to please, step away from the dance floor." The pony, Rosevine, sounded a lot like W. Axle Rose from Earth. As they did, Hayfield picked up a guitar and sat on a stool, tuning the instrument by ear. "Would all of the knighted attendants please take their dates to the center of the floor," Eric took Dash by her hoof, leading her toward the center of the floor, followed closely by Mat and Sapphire, and Leoj and Soarin. There was also Iron Hoof, Shining Armor and Little Strife, who took the hoof of a mare from the crowd. "This is a song James, Keith and I wrote just for this occasion," Rosevine informed the gathering. "This is song is called This I Love." Keith began to play the piano, followed by the strings and woodwinds. The knights slowly began to dance an intricate waltz to the tune. Rosevine began to sing, the choir adding to his voice while Hayfield added soft guitar to the song.

And now I don't know why,

She wouldn't say goodbye,

But then it seems that I,

Had seen it in her eyes.

And it might not be wise,

I'd still have to try,

With all the love

I have inside!

I can't deny!

I just can't let it die,

Cause her hearts just like mine,

And she holds he pain inside

So if you ask me why,

She wouldn't say goodbye.

I know some where inside.

There is a special light,

Still shining bright,

And even on the darkest night,

She can't deny.

_So if she's somewhere near me!_

_I hope to gods she hears me!_

_There's no pony else could make me feel I'm so alive!_

_I hoped she'd never leave me!_

_Please gods you must believe me!_

_I've searched the universe and found myself within her eyes!_

The orchestra played a bit, Keith still playing the piano tune that he started on. The choir was producing a soft note as the Knights and their dates continued to waltz around the floor. Dash looked around the room with her eyes, finding Sapphire, Mat, and Eric were singing along with the song. Eric looked at her while they danced, never taking his eyes from her. "What's so surprising?" he asked her in a soft voice so the crow wouldn't hear. She shook her head slowly and continued dancing with him.

No matter how I try,

They say it's all a lie,

So what's the use of my,

Confessions to a crime,

Of passions that won't die,

_In my heart!_

_So if she's somewhere near me,_

_I hope to gods she hears me!_

_There's no pony else could make me feel I'm so alive!_

_I hoped she'd never leave me!_

_Please gods you must believe me!_

_I've searched the universe and found myself within her eyes!_

Hayfield played the guitar now, his solo filled with long mournful peals from the strings. Dash continued to listen as the percussion added to the song. it was sad, and yet full of passion and joy at the same time. It seemed to talk of a colt who lost someone long ago and he could never find them again. she smiled and sighed, resting her head on Eric's shoulder. "Feeling better, Dashie?" he asked, his voice causing his chest to rumble. Dash nuzzled against his neck softly, getting a smile from him. "I'll take that as a yes."

_So if she's somewhere near me,_

_I hope to gods she hears me!_

_There's no pony else could make me feel I'm so alive!_

_I hoped she'd never leave me!_

_Please gods you must believe me!_

_I've searched the universe and found myself within her eyes!_

The guitars quieted with the orchestra and choir, be coming silent. Keith was the first heard, picking up the piano section. Then the song resumed.

So now I don't know why,

She wouldn't say good bye.

It just might be that I,

Had seen it in her eyes,

And now it seems that I,

Gave up my ghost of pride.

I'll never say goodbye!

The dancers made their last turns while the band played the song out, the audience applauding both the knights and the musicians. Eric lead a now smiling Rainbow Dash out of the dance hall as Rosevine signaled another song, ponies taking the floor for another dance. They were met by the rest of Dash's friends, all with their respective dates. They proceeded to talk into the night, eating and drinking out in the castle gardens.

"Really, it isn't that hard when you have a suit of impregnable armor," Sapphire commented, trying to seem more daring to the group of ponies that Eric was. "Now going out into a horde of hungry zombies in nothing but your skivvies, that takes guts." The group laughed with her. "No, I'm serious. I was camping outside Night Forge one night, got ambushed, and I had to fight off around fifty of the critters in nothing but my underwear." She lifted the glass of wine to her lips as Rainbow dash narrowed her vision on the human.

"But you have a metal arm and leg," she defended, trying to keep Eric as cool as possible to her friends. "I've seen you jump fifty feet and punch a tree in half with those." Sapphire set her glass down, reaching up to her right arm and gritting her teeth. With a groan of pain, she detached the arm from the nerves, holding it up for the group to pass around.

"They come off," Sapphire explained. "I was hopping around on one leg and stabbing the monsters with a marshmallow skewer." Everyone laughed at the visual, it just seemed ridiculous. The limb got back to Sapphire, who proceeded to bolt it into the joint and connect the nerves with a strained look. Fluttershy floated over to her and looked at her worried.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Sapphire nodded, slapping the joint into place correctly. "Oh, you poor thing. How did you lose them?" Sapphire got up and walked through the garden with Fluttershy, talking about her prosthetics. Eric smirked and drank the dark red wine he had, not believing Fluttershy had made friends with a cyborg. He felt a pressure on his shoulder and found Dash leaning on him, obviously half drunk.

"I think you've had enough, Dashie," he said with a chuckle, taking her glass from her. Dash frowned and tried to take it back, only to miss and stumble forward. "Yeah, you're done until we get home." She pouted, giving him dirty looks. Eric sighed, handing her the glass. "Fine, but we're taking a carriage home." She lit up, taking the glass and nuzzling up to him.

"So what are you going to do now?" Twilight asked, waiting on Keith to finish his scheduled performances. "you beat the leader of the undead, have a house. What are you going to do to pass the time?" Eric sipped his drink, thinking the question over. He hadn't considered making it out alive, let alone having a love life afterward. To be honest, he half expected some strange twist to arise. Something like aliens or some kind of terrestrial disputes to have to call him back to action. But what if things stayed peaceful? Sure there were still undead to hunt down and dispose of, but after that, he had no idea.

"Hard to say, Twilight," Eric answered partially. "It all depends on what happens over the next month. I guess I could do anything really. Teach martial arts, start a band, create an air show team, be a farmer, join the Academy and teach advanced physics and chemistry. It all depends on what happens in the immediate future." He poured out the last of his drink, not wanting the backwash and foul tasting residue from the fermenting process. "How about you? What are you going to do?"

Twilight seemed to be lost in thought. "Well," she began, seeing Keith walk out into the gardens. "After the restoration is finished, I guess Keith and I will move back into Ponyville. Start a family maybe, I know my mom would be delighted to have grandfoals." Eric nodded as she stood up and walked away to join her husband.

"That would be nice," Dash said as she laid her head in his lap. "To have a family. Don't you think?" Eric looked at her, smiling at the idea. His family was dead, and he never harbored any hopes of starting another. Then again he never expected to risk everything for a country of intelligent equines, or to fall in love with one.

"Why not," he said looking up at the moon and stars. "It would be good to have at least a son or daughter again." he returned his vision to her, finding her smiling honestly for once. "You sure you want to be a mom?" he asked with a light laugh. Dash laughed too and elbowed him in the leg.

"Are you kidding? I would love to." she even seemed surprised by her own statement. "Though, I never though of myself as mommy material. I guess the war changed me for the better, eh?" she sighed and looked up at the stars. They sat there for what seemed like hours, just watching the moon and stars shift in their nightly dance. "Eric, do you know what's up there?"

Dash's question startled him, he didn't take her for the sentimental type at first. "Stars, galaxies, incomprehensible amounts of planets. I'm not sure if there is life anywhere else now, but it wouldn't surprise me. All I know, is there are billions of billions of burning gas balls that die and form daily." He leaned back on the grass, propping his head on what felt like some ornamental moss.

"Hello?" a cheery voice said. Eric's view of the sky was obstructed by pinky pies' face. "Can I help you?" she asked with a smile. Eric looked at her with an eyebrow raised, wondering what her sudden fascination with him was.

"Yeah," he said in a tone not unkind. "You could move out of the way, I was watching those stars until you got in the way." He smiled slightly, trying to get her to move without getting upset.

"I'd love to," she said with a grin. "But your head is on my tail." Eric leaned on his elbow, looking where his head had just been. What he had taken for a soft patch of a colorful moss was indeed her tail. He apologized nervously. "That's ok! I don't mind, you just kind of startled me is all." She got up and trotted off toward something she saw that was interesting, making an intrigued sound the whole way.

"What is up with that pony?" Eric asked, laying back down and slipping his hands behind his head. "I think she might be a few screws away from a completed house, you know?" Rainbow Dash giggled, covering her mouth with a hoof. "What?" Eric asked sitting back up. Dash stopped giggling and waved her hoof lazily.

"She's always been like that," she explained. "She pops up at the strangest time and always has something completely random and off subject to say. Just wait until she shows up at the house through a floorboard, you'll understand then." Eric mouthed words, trying to understand how she would arrive from the floor and not the door. Dash just laughed at his confused face. "Trust me, it happens. You just have to roll with it and everything will be ok." Eric shrugged and laid back down, noticing the Gala was coming to a close.

"Oh hell," he muttered, tapping her on the stomach and sitting upright. "We were supposed to do a fly by of the gardens in five minutes," Dash's face went from slightly drunk to completely sober in half a millisecond. "Go get changed, we have to do this. Celestia wants your Rainboom and something I've been working on that you aren't allowed to know about yet." Dash got up and took off her dress and sandals, handing them to Eric as he lifted the wreath from her brow. "Here, stow these away, I have to find Mat."

Eric Ran around the garden, looking for Mat. He had pulled out a violin before walking off on his own. "Mat! Where the heck are you?" Eric called, stopping on a bridge. Over the sound of the brook underneath, there was music. Eric followed it to an oak tree, looking around the area for the player. "Mat!" Eric called one more time before the music stopped. He looked around frantically, he had lent the suit to Mat before the Gala so he could look it over and make more for the rest of the squad. A stick struck Eric on the head, drawing his attention up.

"Hey, Numb nuts." Mat said, obviously drunk. "You suit is in the throne room. I made a new one for the ceremony so you could get out without so much trouble from the chest plate. You old one is back at your place, Alice took it to the basement." He lifted a bottle of clear liquid to his lips, the smell of spearmint wafting down from the branch mat was perched on. Eric thanked him and ran back toward the throne room, startling the guards as he entered the side entrance of the castle.

"Sorry!" he called back without stopping. Eric worked his way through the halls, staying as far from the main event as he could. Eric turned toward the large oaken double doors, pushing through and seeing Princess Luna and some noble from Baltimare he had met before. They gasped and parted as he entered the room, running to the other side of the room. "I don't care what you two kids were about to do," he said, stepping onto the platform Mat had placed behind the throne.

The robotics Placed the inner workings of the suit on him first, followed by connectors, friction plates and the reactor core. It then placed the black and red Titanium and tungsten armor onto it. it looked different, mostly because it was scaled like a snakes skin, and there was a stripe of deep violet going from his shoulder to his waist. "You two can continue as you were, but I need you to make me an exit in this window. Not a permanent one please." He motioned for Luna to move some of the glass. Her horn glowed before a ten foot hole in the paneling separated, allowing him to go through. "So long kids," he said, waving and giving the thrusters fifty percent power. Eric rocketed out of the hole, smoke spiraling behind him as it was released from his wrists.

"Eric!" He heard someone yell over the radio. it startled him and caused him to veer to the right, rolling before righting his trajectory.

"No need to yell," he chided, rising to where Dash floated. She was silhouetted by the moon, a banner of Celestia around her neck. "How much longer until we do our pass?" he asked the woman he recognized as Sapphire.

"Five minutes," she said, standing on a balcony over the gardens. She held her auto-mail up to her lips, talking into the transmitter she had added. "Review your planned approach and meet up with the Pegasus Guards. They already know what you've planned. Make sure Dash knows." He chirped his radio twice, cutting the line. "Talk about cutting it close," she muttered, walking back inside.

"**Hey Dash,**" he said over the speakers as he reached her altitude. "**You ready?**" he asked. she nodded, following him to where they were supposed to begin. Eric explained all of the acrobatics they were asked to do, adding a few to end with. "**Think you can handle those?**" he asked as they neared a wing of white and dark gray Pegasi.

"Yeah, no problem," she said, taking her place beside him at the head of the formation. "So what is the trick you said I had to wait to see? It's been nagging at me ever since you mentioned it." Eric shook his head, readying to give the go ahead. His radio chirped, giving him the signal. He waved them forward, falling behind and catching up as he controlled the throttle so he wouldn't fly ahead of formation. They neared the Castle, all of the attendees now crowded the balconies.

They flew lower and closer, the Pegasi activating the smoke canisters on their backs. As they made the first pass, all of them pulled up and away, save for Dash and Eric who kept going and coming back around, the banners of Celestia and Luna trailing behind them.

"Very excellently executed, if I do say so." A pony beside Sapphire said as they regrouped in three, five point groups; making stars in the sky. Eric led the lead star, Dash in the next and the Pegasus Guard captain in the third. They did several turns and spirals around each other, melding into one before forming the wedge again.

"I must say, that Rainbow Dash is quite the talented flyer. She rivals even the guard captain in her ability," a mare behind Sapphire said as she watched them separate into two wedges. They circled around the city walls, picking up speed and flying straight towards each other. The Pegasus Guard pulled back and away, their smoke canisters signaling the end of their event. Dash and Eric had pulled up, dropping the banners and spiraling into the sky vertically. They left view, going beyond the clouds before the weather patrol could clear a hole for the spectators.

"**Last trick Dashie,**" Eric said as they separated and flipped back toward the ground before meeting again. Eric pushed the thrusters to full as dash neared her trick. Eric began to trail flames as Dash burst through her fourth sonic cone. Eric pulled his airbrakes, popping them from their hinges and releasing a ring of flame with Dash's Sonic Rainboom. The two rings continued to expand with each other as they spiraled toward the ground, each trailing the respective colors.

"Excuse me," Sapphire said repeatedly as she worked her way through the crowd. She reached the back of the gathering and plugged her radio into the speaker system, laying her hand on the volume control until the right time.

Eric and Dash pulled back, flying from a single point toward the sky without stopping. Eric was glad the gel system was permanent in this suit, otherwise the G forces would have killed him them. His monitor displayed 12 G's as he flew up, pulling a dorsal arc and mirroring Dash. The two met on the return, Eric grabbing her and flipping until he stood vertical and activating her thrusters to stop the two. Around them in violet and rainbow trails lay a mile tall heart. "**Will you marry me?**" he asked over the speakers. Rainbow dash blinked and shook her head to clear her ears from the flight. Eric activated the helmets retraction system, the article collapsing and ratcheting back over his head and into the back of the suit. "I said, will you marry me," he reached behind him into a pouch and pulled out a gold pendant on a silver chain. Inlaid on the pendant were the crossed swords and rose vines from Eric's shoulder.

The crowd below was watching them intently, Sapphire having turned the volume on the speakers up when she saw them stop. The guests listened to their every word, some shouting encouragement's to Eric and Dash. "So what do you say?" Eric asked, his voice popping slightly over the Ponysonic stands on the balcony.

Dash looked at the necklace and Eric, stunned by the sudden question. "Was this the trick you were planning?" she asked, smiling and her eyes beginning to shine from tears of joy. Eric nodded and smiled back. He had planned this moment for over two weeks.

"You stupid egghead," she said, the guests listening intently for her response. "You had to drag me all the way out here over the city and most likely let the whole Gala listen." The guests smiled, a few chuckling and giggling.

"Of course," Eric said for the guests to hear. In the distance, they could see him waving at them. Some waved back, but most laughed lightly at the comic relief. "I doubt you would want it any other way. So as I said before. Rainbow Dash, will you marry me?" The silence that followed was palpable in the extreme. If someone had tried, Sapphire was sure they could have literally cut it. Even the sounds of the city below had stopped for the occasion.

"I don't know what to say," Dash said. One of the goers screamed yes, obviously heard by the laughter over the speakers. "That's an idea, I guess." Dash said. "Fine. Eric Gaines Johnson, Egghead supreme." She said, floating out of his arms and kissing him, their silhouettes cast clearly by the displaced moon. Celestia looked over at her sister, smiling and nodding her approval. "Yes."

The crowd went crazy, stomping their hooves and whistling. Several cheered their approval, the more rural attendees loosing a yeehaw or a rebel yell. Sapphire smiled and wondered where Mat was. 'Probably in a tree,' she thought. The crowd filed into the ballroom as the engaged couple flew wide toward the balcony there.

Eric and Dash landed on the fly, slowing down to a walk and trot as they reached the glass doors. Eric's armor was scaling and ratcheting back as he walked, becoming nothing but the back section as he stepped from the boots and straightened his bow tie. Celestia and Luna approached them, the crowd parting so they would walk unobstructed. "You majesty," Eric said with a quick bow. "Was the air show to your liking?"

The princess smiled and nodded. "It was, Firebird," she said, turning to Dash and looking at the pendant she wore. "Congratulations to you both. You are a couple tried hard and long, and I shall preside over the ceremony myself. It is the least we can do for what you both have sacrificed for our safety." Eric nodded, turning around as the suit of armor formed again and flew away by it's self.

Eric sighed as he watched the glow from the thrusters fade away, becoming lost among the light of the stars. "I'm going to have to yell at Mat," Eric mused, turning back around and smirking. "That was my ride home."

**The song is This I Love by Guns N' Roses from the Chinese Democracy album. And yes, I altered it to make it pony based.**

**This is the last chapter for now, so I'm going to drop the credits to OC owners here. :) I'm not trying to cut your guys short!**

**Leoj and Little Strife used with permission from Timefather64.**

**Mat and Sapphire used with permission of Bahamut Crisis Core.**

**Night Forge and all things pertaining to the Nightmare Unicorns used with permission of Najee.**

**Last chapter for now boys. Enjoy! :)**

**Please R&R!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I do not own MLP:FIM. MLP:FIM is property of Hasbro and Lauren Faust**

The Hunt!…

"Because I said not, Rainbow Dash," Celestia scorned from the map room of the palace. "You two are to be wed in a week's time, and I will not have this ruined by something as petty as boredom with staying still." Eric stood over the maps, looking at them with his knuckles pressed into the wood of the table. "This is the perfect chance to let Leoj prove he deserves his knighthood. You two should just sit back and enjoy yourselves until your wedding." Rainbow Dash scoffed and walked to the opposite wall of the room.

"From what I heard," Dash argued. "He proved himself when you all held off the enemy at Three Hoof Pass. Then he defeated all of the enemies that got over the walls here while Eric was fighting their leader in the streets!" She threw her helmet across the wall, breaking a bust of somepony. "Leoj can pull support while we take the fight to them! Dammit Princess, _we_ want to go out and finish what they started, and _you _know that can't happen until every last one is back in the ground." Se retrieved her helmet and walked out of the room, slamming the door.

Eric tapped the table with his gauntlet, rapping his knuckles against the rosewood. "Still think I'm lucky?" he asked with a smirk before pointing at the area circled on the map. "Back to the task at play, I suggest sending in the phalanx here," he pointed toward a bridge, tapping the paper. "If the cartography is correct, the river is too far down for even the undead to tempt. After the phalanx is in position, the Air Corps and Task Force Gamma should round the enemy into the bridge and drive them toward the phalanx." He raised his hand and shifted his weight to his other foot. "But that is just what I would do. If this was my mission, I would have Tee Eff Gee and Air Corps round them up out of the woods and push them towards me. No casualties, in and out in under an hour." Eric picked up his helmet and turned it over in his hands, wiping a smudge from the sculpted eye socket. "But, I'm going to leave this to you," he said, motioning with the helm to Leoj. "I have a fiancé to calm before she goes AWOL and gets herself hurt again." Eric put his helmet on and walked out of the door, leaving the briefing to Monarch and Clock.

Eric walked through the castle, nodding to the guards as he went by. He heard the crashing of metal and the shatter of glass coming from a room. He walked up to the door and was stopped by an earth pony guard. "Sorry sir," he said. "I was ordered to refuse entry from anypony. And in my personal opinion," the guard looked back as something obviously heavy slammed into the door. "I wouldn't let anypony go through for their own safety." Eric looked at him, staring long enough to make the veteran soldier flinch.

"**You can keep your opinion sergeant,**" Eric said, walking past him. "**I doubt she could throw anything dangerous at me.**" The guard nodded and took his post beside the door. Eric waited for the cacophony to quiet before opening the door. He was struck in the face with a vase as soon as the door opened, brushing the ceramic off of his shoulder before stepping into the room.

"Dumb Bitch!" Dash screamed before throwing another cracked vase at the wall. Eric ducked to the right as it passed over his shoulder. "The Night Hawks could take this and she knows it!" a sword spiraled through the air. Eric held out his hand and caught the four foot long blade by the haft. Rainbow Dash looked in his direction when the sound of steel sinking into stone wasn't present. Eric had his hands resting on the pommel of the sword, the blade seated in a crack in the floor.

"**Don't mind me,**" Eric said, watching the diminishing pile of busted pottery and stoneware in the center of the floor. "**I'm just here to make sure my best Captain doesn't go AWOL.**" Dash blinked, turning into a scowl and throwing the plate she held at the wall behind her. Eric watched her pick up a rather odd looking slab of stone and heft it. "**Hold it!**" he yelled, walking up to her and taking the slab. "**Ok, you can keep going. Look out for more of these, I like to read old texts.**" Dash nodded as he walked away to a corner, picking up another, newer piece of pottery and chucking it.

'Ancient Greek writing,' Eric thought to himself as he deciphered the tablet in his hands. 'Figures, everything else here is Greek in origin.' He read the letters, finding it incomplete. It spoke of a magician that should not, the rise of the dead and the beginning of a new age of something. The rectangle ended before the next line. Eric set it in an old leather bag from the room, going back to the pile and rummaging through it. "Dash, help me out here." He asked after raising his faceplate. She looked at him, turning around and chucking everything that wasn't made of stone over her shoulders.

Eric laid out the ten stone tablets in the order he thought fit, reading the remainder of the texts. "Did you throw any of these?" he asked Dash. She shook her head, floating over him and looking at the glyphs. "Look around, would you? I want any of these you find. That's an order Captain." He said before she could protest.

"Yes sir," she said grudgingly, going around the room and looking for the tablets. Eric looked over the texts, finding he had the first one before him. He knocked on the door and requested the guard to bring some writing utensils and then go find Celestia. He found a patch of dust and wrote down what he could before waiting. Dash came back with a cart holding twenty similar tablets. "I found these in a corner of an adjacent room," she explained, handing him one. Eric brushed away a thick layer of dust and read through the tablet. He set it among the others before looking through the cart. The guard returned with the princess, some parchment and an inkwell with a quill.

"What do you want?" The princess asked. Eric turned around and pointed to the tablets on the floor, nineteen in total before writing down what was legible still. She looked them over, baffled by the ancient language. "This predates Equestria it's self," she said, looking them over for a date. "I suspect this even predates Discord's rule. Where did you find these?" she asked. Dash led her to the store room while Eric continued to translate them into the modern language.

They returned as he finished, writing the final line. "It's incomplete," he said, raising the stack of parchment to eye level. "But from what's here, it seems to be correct." The ponies looked at him like he was mad. "What is here is what is known as the Scriptures of The Alicorns, and the first edition also. It is a prophecy that apparently repeated throughout time on many planets." Celestia seemed surprised to here the name. "I see you know of them. It tells the tale of how a being of the planet but not, being able to use a power many but not all can, and still shouldn't be able to. This being brings happiness to the masses through revelry and debauchery, leading in what some think is an age of prosperity and kindness. But soon after his arrival, when the veil of the afterlife is weakest, a malevolent force comes to their world.

"This force raises the dead on that day, not an uncommon feat yet again. But instead of joining their lost family in celebration, the awakened bodies turn on them. They feast on the living, turning the bodies into their like. The force then leads its masses against the leaders of the world, taking them down and assimilating the world. Then another being, again not of the world and not seeming to be, leads them from the darkness. This being kills off the dark force, destroying it indefinitely. This being, unable to return to his own world, weds one of the native races. Their child is revered as the next of their saviors or their demise." Eric stopped, looking at Dash before returning his vision to the tablets. He pointed to the one in the center.

"This tablet says that the child looks like the savior in each scenario. In the latter scenario, instead of taking the fight to the remaining corpses, they will lead them against the savior. The savior then has to decide to kill their child, or to give their life so the world is saved." He set the papers on a table, running his hand through his hair. "In the better scenario, the child leads the world into an eternal utopia. The child assumes the mantle after the ruler's demise and leads them through its life, passing the crown down to their worthiest child." He picked up a vase and weighed it in his hand before throwing it against the wall. It shattered into the pile from Dash's earlier rampage. "But you already knew this, didn't you Celestia?"

Dash looked at the princess with something akin to shock, surely she wouldn't hold something as crucial as this from them. "I did," she said. "But I learned from my mother and father not to put stock in prophecy. I thought the Scriptures of The Alicorns were only as old as Equestria, not as foreboding as this." She pointed at the tablets on the floor. "These are as old as the written word in Equestria, and they have predicted the arrival of Keith and you, the raising of the dead, and your bond with Rainbow Dash to the letter." She shook her head. "But scientifically, the two of you having any offspring is impossible. The genetics don't match up, and if they did, I doubt any foals would resemble Eric." Eric looked at Dash, who looked down and grew depressed. "What aren't you two telling me?" Celestia asked.

"Should I tell her or would you like to?" Eric asked Dash. She waved a hoof to him, floating to the window and looking out at the scenery. "I guess I will," he said as he stood up and took off his helmet. "After the Gala, I ran a few tests. Dash wants us to have a baby, and I didn't know if it was possible." He shifted in place, suddenly nervous. "I cross checked the results with every other pony in the database, and it is a unique occurrence. Did any of the people present at the crash tell you what happened?" Celestia shook her head. "Figures. Long and teary story short, I died. Death came in person to reap my soul according to Leoj. Then a god and goddess turned him away, touching me and Dash with some kind of effect. I was given life again and returned to my body, while Dash…" Eric trailed off. "Apparently the goddess was a fertility one. She altered us enough so we could have children." Celestia looked at the tablets with gusto, despair filling her.

"So you both can have offspring," she concluded, buying his story without a second thought. She had dealt with deities before, and they loved to meddle in the affairs of mortals. "The baby shall be kept under watch," she said, getting a pained groan out of Dash. "I don't like it any more than you do, Rainbow Dash," she explained. "But if these are true predictions of events yet to transpire, I must take every precaution to ensure the safety of this land."

"If I may, your highness," Eric said, walking over to Dash and putting his arms around her. "These precautions may cause the unfortunate." Celestia gave him a quizzical look. "If the child is to resemble me, they will already be shunned from the other ponies. He or she will look different in the extreme, and your guards or anything you do to watch him or her will only further this. Humans don't deal with being different like ponies do. We get mean, resentful and spiteful even. Our child will lash out, and finding that assaulting others feels just to them, they will grow to like it." he let Dash go as she landed, walking towards the door. Eric followed her. "Permission to speak freely, milady?" Celestia nodded. "It would be better if you let this play out as it will. The worst case scenario is I have to decide weather to kill my own child or die for the greater good." he put his helmet on, holding the door handle. "**In short. Keep your damned white horn out of it.**" With that Eric opened the door and left.

Eric and Dash landed at the lawn of their house, both still fuming over Celestia's misinformation. She had withheld information that affected their lives, and it pissed them off to no end. Dash walked through the door, followed by Eric. He pulled the cylinder at his waist, the armor scaling into the back section. He stepped out of the boots, setting the helmet on the reconfigured neck. "Alice, put this in the basement." Eric ordered. The AI took control of the suit, walking it to the stair and out of sight.

Dash flopped down in a chair, picking up a bottle of wine and popping the cork. She drank form the bottle heavily, still upset. "I'm not saying what she did was completely disrespectful," she ranted, continuing on what they had talked about on their way home. "But she could have at least mentioned it in some of the briefings we were present at." Eric took the bottle from her and drank too, wetting his throat. "Don't finish it, I'm still thirsty." Dash joked. Eric gave the bottle back walking into the kitchen and pulling some of the chicken out of the oven. Alice knew how to cook rather well for a computer.

"You want some of this?" he asked through the open wall. Dash shook her head as he bit into a leg, still too upset to eat. Eric on the other hand was famished when he was upset. It baffled Dash how he stayed so lean despite his huge appetite. "You know, Baby," he said, swallowing his food. "It isn't completely her fault. From what I heard, Keith is the pony expert on the Scriptures. He should have mentioned something first." Eric set the cleaned bone down, picking up a knife and crushing it with the pommel. He picked through the fragments, eating the marrow as well. Dash stuck her tongue out in disgust as she walked into the room and dropped the empty bottle in the trash.

"You are one sick stallion," she said, taking another bottle from the cabinet and pouring a couple of glasses. "I Can't see how you find that red stuff enjoyable." She handed him a glass and sipped from hers, enjoying the seven year old Fancy. Eric shrugged and picked up a rather long bone fragment, picking between his teeth.

"You still have to go hunting with me," he pointed out as he set the bone down and wiped the mess into the trash. "I doubt you would consider it disgusting after your initiation." She gave him a questioning look, setting her glass down. "Well, proper initiation demands you take a bite from the liver while it's still warm, eat the heart on your first kill, and drink one cup of warm blood." Eric watched her turn four shades of green before swallowing. He laughed at her. "I thought you liked meat," he sniped, walking out of the room with hr in tow.

"I do," she defended. "But it seems a little…" she searched for the word as they walked into the basement. Eric pulled a cross bow and a compound recurve from the wall, stringing the weapons. He handed one to Dash before testing the pull on his, letting the nylon cord twang as he let go.

"Extreme?" Eric asked her when she failed to finish her statement. He pulled a quiver and a pouch of bolts off hooks, handing the crossbow bolts to Dash. She nodded as she took them, slipping them over her shoulder. "Well, that's humans for you. We like the extreme and socially awkward." Erick knocked an arrow, pulling the string with ease and loosing the rod at a target a hundred yards away at the other side of the room. "Ready to go?" he asked before walking towards the door again.

They stalked through the woods, looking for game. Eric had been following some buck tracks for a couple of miles now, finding them rather erratic. They turned back, veered off in strange directions before returning to their previous course. "It's like the damn thing's drunk," he said, coming upon a steaming pile of excrement. "This way," he whispered, turning off to the right into some brush. Dash followed him, her crossbow still slung across her back. They walked behind some bushes until they spotted the animal. It was around four feet tall at the ears and had a rather impressive set of antlers. Eric motioned to her to take the shot.

Dash crouched down with him, pulling up her crossbow and pulling back the string. The lock clicked, causing the deer to look up and around the area. It continued to look around as she set the broad head bolt into the block and nodded to Eric she was ready. He coached her through the process, trying to make sure she wouldn't hesitate. "Deep breaths," he said as she closed her eyes. "Slowly, in and out. Breathe through your nose and lift the stock to your shoulder." she did so and rose up slightly. As she sighted in the shot, Eric continued to talk to her, holding his bow at the ready if she did hesitate. "when you have the shot, breathe in through your nose," she did, setting her hoof against the modified trigger. "when you fire, breath out slowly and pull the trigger when it is all the way out." she exhaled, punctuating the breath with the thump of the string. The arrow streaked through the air, landing in the bucks shoulder. The shaft passed through the chest and out the other side.

"Nice!" Eric exclaimed as the buck fell forward. It recovered and ran into the woods ahead of it, the sounds of the deer falling dead in a crash of bushes and limbs could be heard for a mile in the silence. "Come on," Eric said as he released the tension on his bow and returned the arrow to his quiver. He jumped over the bushes and stopped as he heard Dash heave once, her stomach uneasy but keeping to itself. She followed him into the open, finding the tracks and blood trail in the dirt and grass. "You either hit the heart or an artery," he commented lifting the blood to his nose and smelling it. "Yeah, artery. Nice shootin' Tex." He said with a face accent. They walked along the trail, finding the animal collapsed in some juniper bushes.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Dash said weakly as Eric pulled it out and into view. The animal twitched and kicked, trying to run but not having the strength to. Eric drew a foot long dagger from his belt and held it out to Dash.

"Your deer, your kill." He said, pushing the handle into her hoof. She walked over to the animal and looked at it. It looked so helpless, like it was blaming her for what she did. She continued to stare back at the beast with wide eyes, not noticing Eric had taken her hoof in his hand. "behind the shoulder," he coached, placing the point of the dagger along the ribs. "Between the ribs, forty five degree angle." Dash was deaf to his words as the deer gave another burst of energy as it tried to escape. "And," Eric pushed her hoof down, sinking the blade in it into the animal's heart. The deer shuddered and tensed, breathing in short bursts before the light left its eyes. Dash felt the world grow darker around her, her stomach finally giving way to the feel of the blood that coated her hoof and foreleg.

Eric pulled the blade out of the deer's chest as Dash ran towards a tree, the sounds of vomiting issuing back to him. Eric walked up to where she was as she gained control again. "It isn't like killing zombies she said, turning around. "Their already dead." Eric nodded and slid his thumb along the flat of the blade. He places a line of red under her eyes and one on her brow. She turned around and vomited at the smell of the gore.

"You aren't done yet," he said, walking back to the animal and sinking the dagger into the dirt. He pulled a small knife from his belt, turning the deer over and cutting under the skin of its belly. He dug his knuckles into the flesh, stripping the hide from the meat. As he laid the skin down on the ground, he tied a rope around its back legs. He tossed the rope over a thick tree branch and heaved the animal up. "You have to drain it now," he said as he pulled the remainder of the skin from it with a ripping sound.

Dash walked up and pulled the dagger from the dirt. She stared at the knife, reading what was filled with gore. _Honor and Blood_ was inscribed on the steel. She stood up on her hind legs, breathing deeply to steel herself. She swung the knife, cutting the neck open to the bone. Eric held a cup under the torrent of red water that poured out of the gash, filling it to the brim. "No," Dash said as he handed it to her, the blood sloshing over. "Just… No." Eric shook his head and filled another.

"Together then," he said, pressing the cup into her hand. she took it and stared at her red reflection, grimacing all the while. Eric raised the cup to his lips with her, waiting for her to commit. Dash swallowed hard and poured the warm gore into her mouth, swallowing it quickly. Eric smiles and drank it slowly, letting some run over his chin and down his neck.

Dash struggled to keep the blood down, shaking her head and swallowing almost continually. The taste of coins coated her tongue, her throat threatening to open up. "Gah!" she exclaimed. "I don't ever want to do that again." she looked up at Eric who was filling his cup again. "Ok, that's just sick." She said as he took hers and caught the last of it.

"I'm not drinking it," he said as he set them on a stone and took off his pack. He reached in and pulled out a small stove and a pan. He attached a tank of fuel to the base of the stove and lit it, filling the pan with the blood. "If you boil this stuff and splash it over the meat, it will keep for a month in cool weather." He explained before handing her a hooked knife. "You gotta cut it open and pull out all the guts," he said as she took it.

The effect on her that killing the deer had faded. Now Dash was able to do this without hesitation or remorse. It was dead now and starting to grow cold. She stared at the hips, sinking the hook into the soft underbelly and pulling it down. The carcass opened with a hiss of air, she knew it was from the lungs being punctured. As Eric watched, she pulled out the stomach, kidneys and pancreas, intestines, spleen and gal bladder just like he told her to. He stood up and held up his hand for her to stop. Reaching in up to his elbow, he pushed aside the lungs and diaphragm, working around the liver. He counted with the tips of his fingers up the vertebrae, grasping the large lump of flesh just above them. Eric wrapped his fingers around the ventricles and pulmonary veins, twisting the heart around until a muted snap was heard.

"That sounded nasty," Dash commented as he pulled out the organ and handed it to her. she took it in her hooves, staining her blue coat further red. "Eat it, huh?" she asked. Eric pulled out a pouch of salt, taking a pinch and sprinkling it over the heart. After a moment, the organ began to give a few feeble beats. Dash looked up at him and scowled. "I hate you," she said before looking back at the beating heart.

"No you don't," he said before adding more salt to it and causing it to beat faster. "And you said science was cool yourself. This is the…" he paused for effect before adding more salt. "Darker side of cool." He finished as he plugged the veins and arteries with his fingers. The heart was beating heavily, pressure building inside of it. "Close your eyes," he said just at it began to expand. Dash shut her eyes just as a spatter was heard. She could feel warm goo fall on her face and chest.

She opened her eyes as she heard Eric laughing. He had let go of the burst heart and was giggling to himself as he stirred the simmering blood with a stick. "I think you need help," she said, holding the heart in one hoof and sitting down. She took a large bite out of the organ in her hoof and chewed it slowly. It was very salty, not from the added salt either. She had rinsed that off in the pan of blood. It tasted like the meatloaf only less sweet and with a copperish taste.

Eric stood up and pulled out the liver, cutting a slice off of it and puling a skillet out of the bag. He handed the slice to Dash, continuing her initiation. She finished the heart and held the liver in her hoof. It jiggled like a worm on her hoof. Almost falling off a few times. "You know," he said. "Most ponies would say you need help for doing this." Dash took a bite out of the liver, spitting it out as it wriggled on her tongue. "Then again, I've needed help ever since I started my crusade against the undead." She handed the piece back to him. he set it on the flesh of the deer pelt, cutting several lumps of fat from the carcass. Eric slid them around on the skillet, greasing it before slapping the liver on the hot cast iron. He added the smaller piece to the pan before sprinkling salt over the flesh and turning it over. Eric repeated the process before standing back up and pulling the remaining organs from the deer. He set them on the skin, laying the lungs, kidneys, spleen and diaphragm down before splashing them with the boiling blood. He let them dry before turning them over and doing it again.

They sat there and ate the liver after it finished cooking, Dash finding it to be much better after it was fried. They buried the viscera, Eric shouldering the deer and putting on his glasses. "Alice," he said into the communicator. "Send in the battle suit to this location and start the fireplace. We should be home soon." Eric put the deer on the skin and filled the body cavity with the organs, they now had a sheen from the laminate the blood gave them. The suit landed with a clank of metal before ratcheting back over itself. He stepped into it and picked the deer up, having been wrapped with the skin so the single pieces wouldn't fall out before taking off toward home with Dash.

Eric walked out of the shower room, steam following him as he continued to dry his hair. It needed a cut again, and he also needed a shave. That could wait until tomorrow though. Him and Dash had planned on watching the Canterlot News Network. They were airing the battle outside Southpony and they were curious if Leoj had a leader's spirit. "Alice, tune the television to CNN," Eric ordered as he opened the drawers in the bedroom. He heard a few protests from Dash in the living room, he program having changed.

"Not funny!" Eric heard her yell through the house as he dressed. He put on his pants and shirt, walking out to find her stomping around. "Really? I think I've seen enough blood for one day at least." Eric chuckled as she sat back on the couch, laying on her back and sighing. "Git me a drink, baby," she demanded coyly. Eric smirked and snapped his fingers. A fifth of bourbon, a bottle of cola, and two glasses with ice rose up from the floor. Dash took her glass and held it on her chest. "Then pour it for me mister suave," she said, poking her tongue out through her teeth.

"Fine," Eric said, taking the cola and pouring her glass nearly full. He added the bourbon until it overflowed onto her. Dash gasped and set the glass on the table with a huff. She waited until he filled his glass before jumping up and knocking him down. She sat on his chest and held his shoulders to the floor.

"You have been a bad pony, sir." She said laying on his chest and looking him in the eyes as he tried to overpower her. She giggled and held him down, being stronger from her athletics. "No," she said. "I don't think I'll let you up." she said, flipping a lock of his hair with her hoof playfully. Eric sighed and let his arms fall to his sides before poking her. Dash yelped and twitched, narrowing her eyes. "That isn't going to work," she said, twitching as he continued to tickle her.

"Then what will?" he asked, poking her again. Dash looked up and bit on her lip in thought. Eric took this moment to roll to the side and pin her to the ground like she had him. "That?" he asked with a smile, getting a frustrated look out of her. Dash struggled and beat him playfully with her wings, pawing at his chest with her hooves.

"Let me go you ruffian!" she shouted in a fake accent. "I said unhand me fiend!" she continued to play fight with him as they laughed together, rolling around on the carpet. She got back on top of him and grabbed his hands in her hooves as he tried to push her off. "Now the shoe is on the other hoof!" she exclaimed, pinning him again. Eric panted from the exertion, laying there as she wanted him to. he reached up and ran his hands through her mane. Dash sniffed Eric's hands as they passed over her face. "Hmm, you still smell like gore," she purred, leaning closer. "That is so hot," Eric smirked and kissed her as the news broadcast started.

"Hello and welcome to the Canterlot News Network. I am Inkwell, your seven o'clock reporter. Tonight we have a special broadcast, and I must advise any ponies with young foals to please, ask them to leave." There was a pause as Eric and Dash rolled on the floor, knocking a table over. "If all the foals are away, we will now switch to our live Pegasus camera. Camille, can you hear us?"

"Yes Inkwell. The scene here is nothing short of a blood bath. The famous Phalanx Division, formed by Eric Gaines Johnson or the legendary Firebird, has proved their efficiency once more. This time, Knight Leoj Clocktum, call sign Clockwork is commanding an attack on the remaining undead forces. The air corps led by Spitfire and Task Force Gamma led by the unicorn Little Strife have pushed the enemy towards Baltimare Bridge where the phalanx has set up." There was another pause as the camera was dropped. "Sorry, I was caught off guard by the air corps there. they are now pushing the last of the area's undead toward the bridge, which is littered with bodies I might add. Blood is running deep off of it. there is a veritable waterfall of gore here. The smell is absolutely horrifying, Ink." The reported paused to get a better angle. Eric and Dash were En Maneuvers in the room, the sounds of sex rather loud.

"Iron Hoof! Rein in the first line!" Leoj was shouting orders into the phalanx. "Come on Gamma! Force them in! You, get out of here, this is no place for civilians!" just then a scream was heard on the television.

"Stallion down, Stallion down!" was the word over the radio operator's set. "We have a hundred plus undead bringing up the… Oh Gods! Hel…" Eric sat up and looked at the TV. The camera was showing more than five hundred zombies running towards TFG.

"What's wrong," Dash asked from the floor, pulling Eric back down to her and kissing him. "Is it not good enough?" Eric kissed her back and pulled out, pulling up his pants. "What the hell?" Dash yelled as he ran towards the basement door. There were screams and cries for reinforcement over the TV. "Oh crud…"

"Alice, load up the ammo and add on a few of the longer swords." Eric ordered as he walked toward the platform in the center of the room. The sound of moving metal and clanking gears could be heard from under the floor. Eric stepped into the center of the platform, the boots clasping on from all directions as the boom arms appeared from under the steel. The machines placed the suit on his body as Dash came into the room, standing in a small section of the room. A few arms came down and connected the light plates of her armor Eric had made. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked without turning around.

Dash let out a bark of laughter and grabbed her helmet from the wall. She cradled it in her hoof, wiping prints from the polished steel. "What the hell do you think?" she said, donning the Spartan style helmet. "We are getting into it pretty good, and then Leoj starts getting his ass kicked. I want something to take my aggression out on." She walked over to the tunnel, pulling a long silver and gold Claymore sword off of the rack as Eric stepped of the platform. "Did you honestly think I was going to stay here?" she tilted the blade towards him.

Eric took the sword and stared down the blade. It had a titanium edge and a tungsten carbide back. "Good choice," he said as he lifted it and gave it a test swing. His armor lacked the turrets on the shoulders, letting him attach a metal scabbard to his back. He slipped the sword sideways into the scabbard, making sure it didn't obstruct the thrusters. "Come on," he said as the jets charged up. "We got an immortal idiot to save."

Eric and Dash flew toward the battle at super sonic speeds, the added thrust of the suit Eric made for her allowing her to keep up. "**When we get there, clear the area so TFG can get out. Then join up with Air Corps and lead them into the battle,**" Eric ordered. He wanted to get this snag cleared up as fast as possible. Leoj wasn't at fault, the enemy coming from out of nowhere, but he had lives to save. "**Use the tactics we used at Ponyville. Only instead of just clearing them out, drive them into the phalanx. From there, the soldiers can handle it.**"

"Yes Sir," she replied, descending toward Air Corps and issuing orders. Eric observed the operation from above, watching as Air Corps cleared a path for Gamma to get behind the phalanx formation. Eric made his descent, drawing the Claymore on his back and hacking his way through the meat so Gamma could make it with minimal trouble.

"Clockwork," he said into his radio microphone as he sliced the heads with long sweeping motions. "We need to talk. Get up here." He gave a hack to a zombie, cleaving it in half from nose to tail. The reporter from CNN descended up behind him and began pestering him with questions. Eric made a spinning slash, decapitating four zombies and covering the camera lens with gore. "**Get to Baltimare! You are a liability right now and I don't want to drag you back to the hospital injured! Go!**" he screamed as he stabbed the blade behind him. Eric felt three bodies impale on the sword as Leoj appeared from a time rift.

"Firebird," he said curtly before defending himself with his rapier and Webley revolver, slashing down before firing left handed into the remaining barrier of undead. "I had this under control," he said quiet enough so only Eric would hear him on the radio. Eric scoffed and turned his speakers up louder.

"**You didn't have shit to stand on when they got reinforcements, Clock,**" Eric said as he pulled his sword free of the bodies with an upward heave. "**You need to know when to send out recon before you begin a fight. Get that damn camera out of my face!**" he said. taking the recorder and throwing it over the edge of the bridge. Leoj thrust at several enemies, splitting their skulls each time.

"I did, Eric!" the immortal screamed at him. "I did before with Air Corps and during the battle personally!" he kicked a zombie in the head, knocking it over before firing into its skull. "These monsters weren't in the area a moment before they arrived, and that worries me." Eric stabbed his blade into the ground and raised his fists, firing a barrage of small caliber rounds into the remaining zombies. He retrieved his sword, wiping it clean on a corpse before returning it to its scabbard.

"**This way!**" he called to Task Force Gamma, waving them towards the bridge. He turned around and motioned to the Phalanx. "**Separate! Five feet down the center!**" TFG thundered past him at a gallop, entering the new teleportation circle with a flash of white light. "**Close it up!**" he ordered, receiving instant cooperation. Eric looked up towards Air Corps, finding Dash and Spitfire leading the enemy toward the Phalanx and decimating them in sections from the sides and rear. "**Clock, I want you to take ten ponies from the back rank and scout out a five mile radius. Kill anything that moves, understood?**" Leoj nodded, bowing before entering a time rift. Eric could hear him ordering the back rank to follow him. Eric turned around and motioned the soldiers forward. "**With me!**" he cried, getting several battle cries from the soldiers before drawing his sword and charging into the remaining zombies with them.

**FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT! Hahaha :D**

**SO what do you think, was it ominous enough? I sure hope so. Also, Mat and Sapphire will be making sparse appearances for a little while. I'm getting up to some personal things with Dash and Eric.**

**Please R&R**


	13. Chapter 13

**I do not own MLP:FIM. Rights reserved to Hasbro and Lauren Faust**

**Damn corporate tycoons -.-…**

Eric sat on top of a couple of headless zombies, smoking a pipe a soldier had offered him. The tobacco was sweet, flavored like buttered rum and honey. "This is good," he said, remembering how him and his college professor would sit for hours and debate the applications of artificial gravity. "Where do you get your tobacco?" he asked the gray pony.

"I grow it at mah fam'ly farm out side Canterlot, sir." The pony had a mush mouth accent, his words falling into a jumble sometimes. The "Brooksas" accent they called it. JFK had it if Eric remembered right. "I could arrange to send ya some if you want," the soldier was kissing ass, Eric was sure.

"No thanks," he said, handing the colt back the pipe. "I'm not a big smoker. Besides, I should be giving you a Field Promotion. When you lost your rank lead, I saw you pick up the mantle and save the lives of the rest of your comrades." Eric handed him the red frilled helmet. "Congrats corporal," Eric said, standing up and walking over to Camille, the Pegasus reporter. "Will it live, or should I chalk it up as a casualty?" he joked. The gold Pegasus scoffed and chuckled, holding it up.

"I'm rolling now," she said, pushing a button and stood up. Eric sat back on a log and looked at the camera. "I'm here with Knight Eric Gaines Johnson, call sign Firebird." She narrated for the ten o'clock broadcast. "Sir Eric, Is there anything you have to say about this operation?" she asked, adjusting the zoom to get a clearer image. Eric looked around the battle field, watching two medical ponies carry an injured soldier off the field.

"Where should I start," Eric joked, laughing slightly. "Everything was going great, but then Task Force Gamma was ambushed from out of nowhere." She shook his head, and motioned with his helmet. "To be frank, this thing went from a quick extermination to a complete FUBAR in a matter of moments." He ran a hand through his hair, getting black gore mixed in with the dark blond strands. The reporter seemed to light up.

"How about what brought you here," she suggested. "Everypony at the station said that the princesses didn't call you in." She looked around and muted the camera's microphone. "And in my opinion, it's a damn good thing you did." She turned the microphone back on, awaiting his reply.

Eric thought for a moment, trying not to turn this televised war into something like the Vietnam Action. "Well, I was at home watching the battle go down when a few calls came in that you picked up on camera," he explained. "Clockwork had everything under control, never loosing his cool. But I could tell Gamma was getting their tails handed to them. Like I said, this isn't Leoj's fault. The reinforcements just seemed to come from thin air." He looked around again, seeing Dash walk out of a group of soldiers.

"So what was the original plan for this action," Camille asked. "It looked like the Air Corps and TFG were pushing the enemy back toward the bridge when things went bad." Eric nodded, bumping his knuckles with Rainbow Dash's hoof as she waited off screen.

"The plan was to cause enough damage to their forces that they would flee toward the ravine. There they would either fall to their death or try for the bridge," he shook his head. "Gamma was supposed to root them out of the tree line. From there, Air corps would mow them down little by little until they were in play. You saw how they were working. They executed perfectly until Gamma was ambushed." He shook his head. "I honestly believe there was more to the ambush than dumb luck on the enemy side." A dead zombie moaned as it began to heal, its head not having been separated. Eric raised his palm and fired a glob of plasma into the creatures head, the sound of melting and burning flesh filled the area.

"Are you saying these thing's might be intelligent?" Camille asked. "That it wasn't just the shadow god controlling them?" Eric scoffed and shook his head.

"These things are as smart as a retarded lizard. All they do is think about when to attack their prey so they can eat it, then they wander aimlessly until they find something better to do." Eric stood up when Leoj came back into the area. "Now if you will excuse me, I have to talk to Clockwork." Eric walked off with Dash toward the white haired immortal.

"Eric, I have something to tell you." Leoj informed him as he approached. Eric nodded and stood, crossing his arms. "There may be a new human in play here," he said in a hushed tone, spying Camille's camera light. "I think this one is out for some strange religious jihad type motive." Eric nodded looking down in thought. "And I believe you might want to get home as soon as possible." Eric smirked and chuckled, tapping Dash on the shoulder before donning his helmet. The two took off towards their house, knowing the immortal had puled something.

They flew low over the trees and hills, looking for any undead. "So what do you think he pulled?" Dash asked over the radio in her helmet. "He seemed to be rather happy about something." Eric shrugged and used his hand as a wing flap to yaw to the right slightly.

"Not sure," he replied, watching the ground still. They flew over farms and houses, not seeing anything out of the normal. "But if I know Leoj, we won't know it for at least an hour or two. He seems to get confused with his own time stream." Eric looked over at her and chuckled into the mic, getting a slight grin out of Dash.

They landed on the far side of the house, horse playing as they landed. "I beat you, you cheater!" Dash yelled happily as she pushed him with her hooves. Eric laughed and took off his helmet, tossing it at her and running around the house.

"The rules were first to the door!" he yelled back to her, seeing her fly over the roof with his helmet. Eric laughed and rounded the corner, finding Dash reading a note on the door. "What's that?" Eric said, his smile slowly fading as Dash became more serious. She shook her head as she read the note in her mind, tears starting to form in her eyes. "Dash, Sweetie, what's wrong?" Eric asked, walking up and seeing a large burlap sack in front of the door. Dash crumpled the note and tossed it off to the side.

"No, It isn't true!" she screamed after it. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she huffed in rage. "That lying bastard, how could it be true?" she muttered to her self, screaming at random intervals. Eric looked at the bag and noticed another note on it marked with his name. He picked it up and saw it had two lines.

_One: take the bag downstairs and open it._

_Two: Chain up what is inside, no matter how wrong you think it is. This is dangerous. Leoj._

Eric pulled at the bag, finding it surprisingly heavy. He lifted it up and opened the door, walking in as Dash continued to steam outside. "Alice, restraints in the basement, now." He ordered the AI as he opened the door to the basement. "I want them nearly indestructible. Make it happen." Eric heard the platform activate, the AI disassembling his spare suit of armor. He heard holes being drilled and welding before opening the door. **Restraints finished,** the AI reported in a computerized voice.

Eric walked in and found the restraints. There was a circle of restraints on the wall big enough for anything from a rabbit to a minotaur. Eric set the bag down on a table close to the wall. Untying the rope that held it closed. He held it shut, remembering what the letter said. 'No matter how wrong it seems,' Eric thought, preparing himself. He opened the bag, tearing the cloth to reveal a human. He recoiled in shock as the thirteen year old kid laid out on the table. "That is really freaky," he muttered, gaining his wits. Eric picked up the boy and clasped his arms and legs to the restraints, tightening them down so the boy couldn't move.

Eric paced around the room, rage building inside of him. "Dammit Leoj," he hissed through clenched teeth. Eric felt tears fill his eyes, sliding down his cheeks before falling off of his jaw. Eric growled, turning into a full throated scream as he slammed his fist on the table. the reinforced steel buckled under the blow, bending and touching the floor. Paper and other office supplies scattered from the broken drawers, covering the floor around him. "You had to do this now. Just after she got over being imprisoned in those fucking tunnels!" he picked up the desk, throwing it across the room single handed. Eric continued to make his wreck, throwing items that weighted in excess of a ton farther than a hundred feet.

Rainbow Dash came into the room, drawn by the cacophony of metal crashing against the concrete walls. She gasped as she watched Eric pick up a die press that weighed three tons and toss it like a paper weight. "What the hell has you so upset?" she asked, walking up to him and placing her hooves on his chest. Eric huffed in anger, ignoring her and throwing a sword from its rack. The three foot blade sunk to the cross guard into the concrete wall. She ducked as he threw the other seven, each finding its mark save one, which landed in the wall above a shadowed circle that was new to her. "Eric!" Dash screamed behind him as he stopped his rampage. "Calm the hell down!"

He stood there, breathing heavily before his armor opened and fell to pieces around him. As the boots fell apart he dropped to his knees, screaming at the ceiling for a full two minutes before calming down. Dash slowly walked up to him, keeping distance incase he was lost in rage. "Baby, what's wrong?" she asked in a soothing voice. Eric leaned forward, resting his weight on his knuckles and staring at the shadowed portion of the far wall. Eric broke into tears and looked down, crying silently to himself as Dash walked toward the wall.

As she approached the wall, she could hear a light laughing. The sound made her blood run cold with confusion, fear and sadness. She turned on the flashlight of her armor, shining it in the direction of the unnerving sound. "Hello mother, long time no see." The Voice laughed again before the flashlight fell on its owner. Dash was frozen in shock. Before her, restrained to the wall was the mirror image of Eric. Only it had her eyes and hair. The boy laughed again, causing her to shiver. "What's wrong mommy," the child asked, causing her breath to catch. "Don't you recognize the son that was cut from you? Oh, that's right. You were a little out of sorts, weren't you?" the thirteen year old boy chuckled, smiling insanely. "Well then, looks like I'm back!" he shouted into the room, laughing once more. "Oh how fate is a cruel mistress. I think it's about time I was given a name, don't you mom," the boy paused and looked across the room at Eric. "How about you dad? Got any good names for your sweet little boy?"

Eric looked at the child with a half rage. He looked like a young adolescent, but his voice as that of a full grown man. The child stared back at him, his maroon eyes seeming to bore into his very mind. He began to speak, but Eric cut him off, landing a knife in the wall beside his head. "Just… Shut up," he said barely loud enough to be heard. Eric got to his feet and slowly walked over to the wall. "How is it you're here? How is it you are thirteen years old?" Eric pulled the knife out of the wall, holding it against the boy's throat, ignoring Dash's protests. "Why shouldn't I finish the prophecy now? No one would ever know besides us," Dash pulled him away, knocking him to the floor and prying the knife out of his hand.

"No, Eric," she said, tears heavy on her voice. "No matter how twisted he may be, he is my colt and I will not let you kill him!" she tossed the knife away and pinned him to the floor, using the suit's hydraulics to effect.

"But he's insane!" Eric screamed back at her. "This is the worst possible thing that could happen! Not only will he kill everything on this planet, but he might even destroy the world itself!" he pulled another knife from his belt. "I know, I've been there." he added calmly before throwing it at the child's head. He heard the sound of steel sliding on bone and closed his eyes, feeling the gravity of his action.

Eric heard the knife strike the ground and slide away. "So close dad," The child said. "You always did have a hard time with that throw, didn't you?" the boy spat on the floor, clearing his teeth of the blood from his cut lip. "Any higher and that would have worked. Here's a reason to not kill me." The child said with something akin to excitement. "I'm insane! No wait, that's a perfect reason to kill me." The room was silent as Dash stared him down for his attempt. "Here it is! I have… oh, what's the word… Knowledge, that's it. I have knowledge of something that could end the infinite loop of history."

Eric sighed and relaxed on the floor, Dash not feeling like giving up anytime soon. "Dash, let me go." He demanded.

"No, I don't think I will." She said back in a cold voice. "You don't get it Eric, you might have been insane at one time. But you _changed_. You regained your sanity, just like he can."

"_**It isn't that simple Dash!**_" Eric yelled back, letting the madness he harbored deep inside arise. Dash's eyes widened at the sound, never thinking anything could sound that disturbed. "I have to fight every day," Eric said, cackling like a lunatic in a butcher's shop. "I have to fight just to keep it locked away!" he sounded on the verge of ecstasy at being able to tell her this. Eric lowered his voice to a soft monotone. "And you know what? Being a soldier doesn't help it any. Sure I get a release, I get to cause as much destruction as I want outside of a city or town. Like that dragon at Ponyville." Eric burst in to hysterical laughter, pounding his fists on the floor. "Did you know I never planned to make it out of there alive?" He asked in a voice that sounded all to excited. "Oh yes, _he_ did, but I wanted to climb into its mouth and sink those blades into its brain as it bit me in half!" Dash walked back off of him, shock scrawled across her face. Eric rolled over and rose to his feet. "That's why he has to fight, you know?" the insane voice asked. "So the madness can't tear everything to the ground and set it on _**fire**_." Eric turned around, his eyes now crimson and his smile the most menacing thing anypony had ever seen. "_**And I would do it just for shits and giggles!**_" he yelled with a cackle, picking up the two ton platform and tossing it aside. "You may as well say goodbye to your sweet Eric," he said. "Because the monster's loose, and it's time to play!"

Dash looked around the room for an escape as the man she loved became a terror, walking slowly towards her with two blades in his hands. "Eric. Please. Don't do this." She begged as she felt the wall press against her. "Think… Think about what you're doing!" The face she knew had changed, the blades in its hands being run together. The sound of steel on steel filled the room, blocking out everything but the rapid beating of her heart.

"I told you, my pretty new toy," the voice said, lunging and lifting her up by her armored wings. "Eric is gone!" she felt the human tear the metal from her body without trying. "Did he tell you that coming here rid him of me?" The voice asked, pulling the sleeves of armor from her legs. "No, it didn't do that. It made me violent. And I _**fucking love**_ this new feeling!" The monster before her tore the chest piece in half, tossing it aside as she fell. "I think I'm going to pluck your pretty blue wings first," It said, pulling a feather from her with a giggle. "Then, I'm going to string you up and cut the skin from your body, slowly, painfully. Making sure you're alive and awake the entire time. I will spread salt across your bare flesh, relishing the screams that I'm sure will follow. I will pull out your eye, the right one, showing it to you after I cut off your eyelids, squeezing it until it _pops_ like an overripe **grape**." The monster made a popping sound with Eric's lips. "Then I think I will pull out your organs one by one, savoring the agony you will feel." Eric's body made a slicing motion with the blades. "You will beg me for death when I'm… No! You can't have it back!" the creature screamed around the room, backing away from Dash and swinging its arms defensively.

"You are too weak to take it back!" the voice screamed, clutching its head and falling to its knees. "I won't go! **I like it here**!" Eric's body fell over, falling unconscious. Dash sat as far into the corner she was in as possible, clutching the feather the monster that took Eric over against her chest and crying. Eric groaned in exhaustion and pain, getting up on his hands and knees.

"That's why the kid has to die," Eric said, sounding sane once more. "Changing dimensions, no matter how close they are, can cause shifts in the mind set. And that is why I refuse to believe an insane person or pony can be changed for the better. My mind is fractured and unstable." Eric stood up and staggered to the wall, sliding down it to sit on the floor.

"I'm not that unstable, dad." The kid said, sounding completely sane. "I just like to toy with the minds of mortals. Being a human like person raised amongst gods does that to you. I may even be more stable than anything in this world." Eric held up his hand, silencing the boy.

"Enough of your prattle," Eric said, standing up and walking over to the upturned platform. Had he really done that? Was it physically possible to lift it without assistance? "I'm going to let you sit there for a while," Eric said turning back around. "Consider it your first time-out." he added with a smirk. The boy smiled and giggled.

"About time something disciplined me," he said. "I haven't had a steady parent figure in over thirteen years, considering you killed what I thought of as my father." Eric shook his head and waved a finger at the boy, silencing him. "Oh, right. I'm breaking the rules of a time-out, aren't I?" Eric nodded and looked at Dash. She stared at him, obviously afraid of him now.

"You going to be ok, kid?" Eric asked with a soft smile, crossing his arms. Dash nodded hesitantly, holding up the feather. "Sorry about that," he said sadly. "I want in my right mind." Eric walked to the door and opened it. "I think I'm going to take a short nap before Celestia decides to bite my ears off." He said before closing the door behind him. Dash sat in the corner for a moment longer, still processing what had happened.

"It's not his fault, mom," the child said, causing her to look up. "I would say blame the twisted society he comes from, but then again I'm not all right upstairs either." The boy gave a half smile, causing Dash to laugh nervously. "There we go," the boy said, sounding ever more like his age than the adult he acted. "A mom shouldn't be afraid of her son. I think I'm going to take dad's idea and sleep for a while." And with that the boy fell asleep. Dash shook her head and stood up, looking at the empty space in her feathers.

"What have I gotten myself into," she muttered, holding the feather up and watching the last of the blood fall from the point. "I'm in love with a madman and the mother of an insane child. You have really gotten yourself in it this time Dash." She shook her head and dropped the feather on the floor, walking out of the door.

Eric laid out on the couch, a cushion propped under his head. 'I'm going to kill you,' he though to himself. 'You hurt her, you make her afraid of me. I'm going to fucking kill you.' He sighed and turned over, staring at the fire that crackled in the mantle. "Alice, windows." He ordered, getting immediate response as she darkened the glass. "Keep an eye on the basement," he said. "I don't want our guest getting out. And don't follow his requests either." He got an affirmative from the speakers, followed closely by the sound of the basement door closing.

Dash walked upstairs, finding the windows blacked out and the lights off. "Alice, flashlight. I cant see." A panel slid up on the wall beside her, producing a small flashlight with a handle. "Thank you," she said before taking the light in her teeth by the handle and walking to the bedroom. The bedside clock read Twenty-one hundred hours. Dash turned off the light and set it on the nightstand, climbing into the bed and tossing a blanket over herself. He sighed as she tried to relax, tossing and turning until she was comfortable.

Eric stared at the ceiling, picking chunks of gore out of his hair. 'Why did I lose control?' He thought to himself, staring at a piece of brain matter before tossing it into the trashcan. 'I have never been that far gone," He pulled a fragment of bone out next, staring at it also. It was shaped like a clover, causing Eric to laugh with grim amusement.

"Eric!" he heard Dash call from the bedroom. He lay on the couch, snapping the bone fragment in half. "I don't blame you, you know? You weren't… well, you back there." Eric lifted a tablet device, poking several interface icons. A platform rose from the ground, a rum and coke on top. Eric picked up the glass and let the table fall back into the floor. "Could we…" Dash hesitated, Eric taking a gulp of the cold drink. "Do you have it under control again?" she asked. "I'm kinda lonely in here," Eric chuckled to himself as he heard her laugh nervously.

Eric got up and downed the rest of his drink, setting it on the table on his way through to the bedroom. He leaned against the doorframe, looking at the dark figure staring at the ceiling. "Yeah," he said, causing her to jump. "I'm cool. I'm sorry it hurt you, but I had to make my point. I didn't think it would go that far though." Eric crossed his arms, shaking his head. "I really didn't mean for any of that to happen." Eric watched as she sat up in bed and held her forelegs out toward him.

"It's ok," she said. "Just come to bed with me. I need somepony to hold." Eric could almost picture her pouting in his head. It looked cute, really. "You still there, or am I trying to hug a shadow?" She asked with a slight laugh. Eric chortled, walking into the room.

"Yeah, Dashie," he said, giving her a hug. "I'm here, but I need a bath. I'm still covered in zombie goo." He felt her move her hoof to cover her nose.

"Yeah, go shower," she said in a nasally voice. "You smell like… Ugh." Eric laughed and grabbed a change of pants, walking out to the bathroom. HE turned on the water, running a pocket comb through his hair in the mirror as the shower warmed up. Black fragments of random body bits fell into the sink as he combed.

"I really need to cut this," he said, holding a lock in his hands. A panel on the side of the sink opened, revealing a pair of scissors and an electric trimmer. "I need to put boundaries on you, Alice," Eric said, picking up the scissors. He trimmed the gold locks, taking the blades to the sides first. Eric thought the whole time, contemplating his job as a knight. He had always dressed for success, wearing short, neat hair and stylish clothing. But this line of work, the line that involved blood and guts and grit needed efficiency. Eric set down the scissors and tapped the mirror.

A computer screen came up, displaying a database search. Eric had a direct line to the Royal Information Grid, or R.I.G for short. Every reflective and clear surface in his house was essentially a touch screen computer, and his basement was his own personal hologram room. Eric had spent a week creating the correct, non lethal, particle aerosol to catch the image were it was needed. He typed in a few words on the screen before him, bringing up a list of subjects. Eric chose he fashion section, picking hair and clothing in separate sides of the mirror. The computer that housed the AI had dimensions for the human form, Eric's in specific. All of the choices were altered to fit him. He scrolled through the list, looking at a couple renders for hair styles. The idea of trim and squared away was very different here, shoulder length hair being the norm with a few of the more stylized ones topping the list. He chose one that wasn't too long, yes not what he would normally pick. He set the AI to use the instruments, the cut being finished in a matter of minutes with a little pain from his hair being pulled.

Eric set an order for a business suit along with several different types of close fitting shirts and cargo style pants. They seemed to be loose, yet not baggy. More of a flowing design than a young goofy look. The R.I.G systems listed off a series of clothiers, only one bringing up any sort of remembrance. Rarity's shop topped the list surprisingly enough, apparently having a reputation for hoof stitching each piece and maintaining a strict quality standard. Eric picked up a hair brush, using the handle point as a stylus to sign his name. "There," he said as the screen showed his considerable bank account diminish slightly. "Now I'm fit for duty." The screen faded, leaving a message of the estimated time of delivery. "Wow," he said, finding it being tomorrow afternoon. "They don't fuck around here, do they?"

Eric walked out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and another in his hands. He was drying his hair when he walked into the bedroom, finding Dash reading the latest Daring Doo novel in the lamp light. "You cut your hair!" She exclaimed, looking at his head. The style resembled that of a WWII German soldier's cut, close shorn sides but still hanging down to the bottoms of his ears. Eric nodded, slipping on a shirt and a pair of jersey material pants. "Why do you always do that?" Dash asked as he got into bed and propped his head up on his hands. "Just when it starts getting long enough to play with too." She joked, going back to her book. "It looks good," she commented, turning the page.

"you could use a trim too," Eric said, flipping a split end in her mane with his fingers. Dash swatted his hand with a wing, smiling. "I'm serious, Dash. We are expected to look our best, and you always seem to look like you just got off of a ball field." She gave him a sideways glance, obviously confused by the sentiment. "I have to teach you ponies something about team sports, don't I?" Dash scoffed at him and shook her head.

"I like it this way, Eric," She said, laying the book down. "I have never cut my hair, and I don't plan to." she frowned at him, slapping him in the face wit ha wing as he put a pair of scissors over the end of her mane. "Will you leave it!" she exclaimed, tossing the scissors across the room. Eric just laughed, still messing with her eternally messy mane. Dash huffed and threw up her hooves. "Fine! I'll get a trim," She relented. Eric pulled the clippers Alice had given him out and turned them on, the battery working the blades. "I said a trim, baby." Eric smiled and put the trimmer away. They laid down, turning out the lights and falling asleep together.

"And further more, I would like to thank you for going against orders, Eric." Celestia admonished from the throne room. Eric was stunned. He had come prepared for a punishment akin to a public lashing. "You shouldn't be surprised, really. If we had sent you in, you would have extracted Gamma from the field after their mission had been finished. I do not condemn Leoj for keeping them there, everypony can fight and add o the assault force. But if they had been removed, the enemy reinforcements wouldn't have been such a disastrous consequence." The princess too a drink from her chalice, finished with her observations.

Eric stood silent for a moment longer, thinking of what to say. "What is on your mind, Firebird?" The princess asked, looking at him intently. Eric thought about many things in a matter of seconds, but the ones that lasted the longest were the beast within him and the being that he had confirmed as his and Dash's child. He had to keep the boy a secret from the princess if she wasn't already aware, at least until Eric was sure he wasn't a threat to the princesses. "Eric, are you well?" Celestia asked concerned. "I have always enjoyed your quick wit during out conversations, tell me what ails you." Eric bounced his armored fist on air several times, sucking on his bottom lip and shaking his head slightly.

"I have something troubling," he said, tapping his head. "In here. As you know…" Eric looked around the room, noticing how many ponies were around. The guards he could swear secrecy from, but none else. "We need to be alone to talk about it." Eric hinted, making a circle beside his ear. The princess nodded and ordered all but her personal guards and Eric out of the room and the door bolted. The ponies went about the orders, not asking questions. When they were alone, save five unicorn guards, Eric began again. "You know I was mad before your sister brought me here, right?" Celestia nodded. "Well, I still am… In a way." He began pacing around the room. "When I was brought here, I told Luna that it had left. But I was wrong. It had only separated and become dormant. I now harbor a personality that only wants to burn this land to the ground for a laugh." Several of the guards failed to hide uneasy movements after he mentioned this and walked past them.

"What are you saying, Sir Johnson?" Celestia asked, watching him as he passed behind the chair. "Are you telling me that my most trusted knight is a danger to myself?" Eric nodded, and then shook his head, at a loss for an expression.

"In a way." He said. "Yesterday, I was working in my basement on a weapons system for my armor," He lied to hide a dangerous and testy subject. "Dash was with me, and it gained control. I had been fighting this being back since Ponyville, especially once the dragon arrived. If I had lost control then, I wouldn't be here today. But then again neither would the dragon. Anyway!" Eric exclaimed, pausing to get back on track. "It attacked her, tearing the armor I made for her away like it was air. It tossed her into the opposite corner of the room, flipped a three ton piece of equipment unassisted, and then began to torture her by saying what it would do to her for a laugh." Eric reached into a pouch at his waist, pulling out a cyan feather about a foot long and setting it on the arm of the throne. "He pulled that from her before I could take control back."

Celestia picked up the feather with magic, holding it in front of her. There was dried blood on the quill of the feather, obviously not picked up after it had fallen out naturally. There was a break in the fibers of the feather, denoting it had indeed been pulled out by a live being and not a machine. "I am loath to admit it," Celestia said as she set the feather in Eric's outstretched hand. "But you are a danger to yourself and everypony around you in this state." Eric nodded after returning the feather to its pouch. "This is a matter that could cause unrest in the populace, so it must be handled quietly. Therefore, I am assigning Keith Wolfheart as a magical solution to your issues. He is well versed in all forms of supernatural phenomena. I am sure he will be able to return you to full working condition quickly." She brought a pen and quill to her, dipping the feather in ink before writing a letter and sending it off with magic. "I am aware you have a spare room at your house, am I not correct?" Eric nodded. "He and Twilight Sparkle will be staying there until this predicament is resolved. Are there any more issues of note?"

"None of importance, but I have a question." Celestia nodded, giving him permission to ask. "I mean no disrespect, but I have noticed the highly advanced level of technology here," He paused for a moment. "But transportation is either manual or by chariot. You have designs for an automated land vehicle and powered flight, why haven't you set them into production?" Eric was surprised to hear the princess laugh at his question, but not in a condescending tone.

"Simple," she said. "These machines pollute the fertile land, they cause laziness, unneeded stress, and further more smell bad and create unnecessary noise." Eric seemed to understand. "We have not done this so that the ponies stay fit and healthy. Have you not noticed how much happier life is when you do an honest day's labor or simply take a walk through the streets? It's really is just semantics, Eric. A happy pony is an easy to deal with pony, and I have less rebellions to put down. I do release machines to assist them in their lives when they are hard. But when you can plow your fields by yourself, why have polluting machines does it while you sit atop and become lazy? Why get in a flying machine when there are Pegasi that would gladly pull a chariot through the sky at near the same speed and receive a pay from it? Revenue and the happiness of the many, Eric. You may go if we are finished." She said, taking the scrolls a page held for her and opened the first.

"My Lady," Eric said with a bow before backing up and exiting the room. It made sense to him now that he thought about it. There was wisdom in her words. He was much more pleased with his new life now that he didn't have to worry about traffic or catching a flight half way across the world for more traffic. 'How blind we are,' he thought with a smile as he exited the castle. He waved to the guards before taking to the sky, putting his helmet on and letting it scale back into the armor. The wind felt good passing over his skin and through his hair. 'To Fluttershy's place,' he thought as he banked to the right, heading toward the agricultural side of town. It had been a month and a half since she had offered him the puppy, and he was looking forward to having a dog again.

Eric landed hard in the empty field, digging a trench as he tried to slow into a run. "Burned that one!" he said with a laugh as he tripped and caught himself again. He had been trying to land without the systems for over a week. Flying he had down with the neural interface, but he didn't know the physics of a controlled crash. Eric saw the fence of the old farmhouse coming up fast, still at an unstoppable run. Eric jumped over it, landing on his side and rolling until he stopped. He had halted on his face, a mouth full of grass and dirt. He rolled onto his side and spat the gritty mixture out, running his tongue over his teeth. He finished turning over and lay on his back, the sky obstructed by a pegasus shaped silhouette. "Hi Fluttershy," he said, panting and laughing off the adrenaline.

"Hello Eric," she replied, her voice as quiet as ever. "C-can I help you?" she asked, helping him into a sitting position. A puppy ran up to him, jumping on his lap and licking his face. Eric laughed and picked the dog up, setting it on the ground.

"Actually, you can," He said. "Remember about a month ago when you offered me the puppy and I said I couldn't take it then?" Fluttershy nodded, picking up the puppy that tried to lick him to death and holding it up to his face. The dog barked and licked him on the nose.

"This one?" She asked, pushing the puppy into Eric's arms. "He already likes you!" She exclaimed in a normal volume voice as the puppy assaulted Eric with its tongue. "Here, let me get you something to carry him in, I mean… if that's ok." Eric nodded and set the puppy down. He picked up a stick and threw it, finding out the dog already knew how to fetch. The puppy brought It back, placing it in Eric's hand. Fluttershy came back with a small carrier. "Here," she said, opening the cage. "You can keep it if you want, I have plenty." She smiled as Eric put the puppy in the carrier.

"Thanks, Fluttershy," he said, giving her a hug with his free arm. "I won't forget this anytime soon," He said, walking a safe distance away. She waved at him as he took off, flying west to his house. Eric held the wooden carrier with the opening away from the wind, trying to keep the puppy as warm as possible on the five minute flight home. 'I have a dog,' he thought happily as he passed over Canterlot, waving at the ponies that pointed up at him and cheered.

Eric landed outside the house, walking up to the door and opening it. He set the carrier down inside the door, closing it behind him. "Ready to see your new home, boy?" He said, getting a bark in response. Eric opened the cage and let the puppy out, who proceeded to pee on the carpet.

"No, bad dog," he picked up a glass of water that was sitting on a table and poured it on the puppy. "We don't pee on the floor." The puppy shivered, his short fur growing cold. "Alice, dry off the dog carefully and clean the carpet, I want it spotless for when Keith and Twilight arrive." The AI made a chirping sound as it executed the commands. A couple of articulate gripping claws descended from the roof, grasping the puppy and towel drying it. Alice handed the dog to Eric, who took it as she began to steam clean the carpet. "Good work, not a scratch on him."

"You did say carefully, sir," The computer said as it laid carpet shampoo down. Eric reclined on a chair, petting the young Doberman puppy. "Sir, I received a message from the RIG delivery prompt. A mail mare should be here any moment. In point two five seconds actually." The door bell rang once. "Would you like me to get that for you, sir?" The AI said, seeming pleased with its calculations.

"No," Eric said. "Fix the puppy a bowl of minced venison and set it on the kitchen floor for him. I am more than capable of getting the door myself." Alice chirped again, finishing the steam cleaning and moving about the other tasks. Eric noticed he was still wearing his armor before he reached the door. "Dammit," he muttered, activating the compression systems. The suit slid back, ratcheting and opening at the front of the boots as he stepped out of it. Eric reached out and pulled the door open, revealing a large wood box.

"Here's your order, sir!" a pony somewhere behind the cargo called. Eric snapped his fingers, the wall opening and the AI's automated systems taking the box inside. Where the cargo had been was a gray Pegasus with a wall eyed look about her. "Oh wow, your Eric Johnson!" the mail mare said, pulling put a fountain pen and a notepad. "Can I have your autograph sir?" Eric leaned on the door frame in a cocky manner, crossing his left foot behind his right and tapping the toe of his shoe on the floor. He stayed that way, soaking in the gravity of his fame before taking the offered pen and paper.

"What's your name, kid?" he said writing out a short message on the paper in his best handwriting. The pony smiled and floated in place, delighted he was giving her an autograph.

"Ditzy Doo," the Pegasus said, giving him another strange facial expression. "But all of my friends call me Derpy. I'm not sure why…" Eric continued to write down on the paper, he looked at it before handing it back, making sure it wasn't too personal.

_To Derpy, _

_Thanks for all of your hard work and support._

_ Eric "Firebird" Johnson._

He handed the Pegasus the notepad and pen, the mare eliciting a squeal that would make a squished rabbit jealous. The pony gave him a hug and shook his hand. "Go on, kid," He said, giving her another fist bump. "I'm sure you have other deliveries to make." The Pegasus thanked him again, giving a salute before taking off. Eric shook his head and walked back inside, ordering the suit down to the basement. "And Alice," he said. "Feed the boy, would you? Steak and potatoes." The AI chirped as it started cooking the meal. Eric walked over to the cargo box and found the top opened. He leaned over it and pulled out the twenty smaller boxes inside. "Hangers," he called out, having them laid beside him. Eric took out the business suit, finding Rarity had added a set of regular sunglasses for free. He hung up the clothing, moving through the boxes quickly and carrying them to his closet.

Eric was putting the garments away when Alice chirped. "Sir, I don't mean to be intrusive," The computer began as he closed the closet door and turned around, looking at the ceiling. "But shouldn't a mother and father dine with their child?" The computer's question intrigued Eric. The AI was incapable of learning past its programming, so why did it suddenly have worries about his family. "I am only following standard family friendly protocol, sir. And all of my data on the subject places the mother, father and child at a table, eating together. Is this incorrect, sir?" Eric leaned against the wall, thinking about what she had said. Leoj had told him to chain up the boy, no matter how wrong it seemed. But this seemed a little more than wrong. "I am reading irregularities in your vital signs, sir. Are you upset with me?"

"No Alice," He replied. "I'm not upset, just slightly perturbed." He walked into the kitchen, finding three plates of food and a spare serving of meat if Dash wanted some on the table. Eric scoffed and shook his head. 'How am I supposed to tell the computer, a logic machine, that it is _both _right and wrong…' Eric thought as he sat down in a recliner. "When was Rainbow Dash was supposed to be back?" Eric asked.

"In about three point two minutes sir," Alice replied. "She is making the flight home now." Eric sat back and waited a moment, thinking over how to not confuse Alice. He stewed on the idea for longer than he thought, feeling Dash wrap her forelegs around him and kiss his cheek.

"Hey baby," She whispered into his ear as he held her hooves. "Did you miss me?" She asked, purring the words into his ear. Eric sighed and shrugged. "Ok," She said, growing serious. "What's crawled up your tail?" Eric shrugged again, motioning to the kitchen.

"Alice made three plates," Eric explained. Dash sighed and rested her head on the back of the chair. "You got the same message, huh?" Eric asked and received a groan of frustration. Dash walked around to the couch and flopped down on it. "What do you think, should we give in?"

**What will they do with the other plate? What will happen to Eric's mad other half? Why am I asking you? I already know!**

**Read and Review Please! :)**

**Leoj Clocktum property of Timefather64.**

**Mat & Sapphire property of Bahamut Crisis Core**

**Night forge and all things Nightmare Unicorn property of Najee**


	14. Chapter 14

**MLP is property of Hasbro. All rights reserved**

**Alright, this is something I've been forgetting to put in. when Eric talks through the speakers on his helmet, he sounds like… well the closest reference I have is Master Chief. I'm sorry but it isn't as deep as Michael Clark Duncan (the black guy from The Green Mile) and it's deeper than Vin Deisel's voice. But outside of his suit, he sounds like something close to a cross of Vin Deisel and Sam Eliot( the old guy from Ghostrider)**

Eric and dash sat at the table in the basement, eating their meal. Alice had been tasked with feeding their child, Eric still not trusting him with a fork and knife. "Sir, I fail to understand the necessity of having the child feed," The AI commented as the boy took a piece of meat from the fork in Alice's articulate grasping claw. "Physically and mentally the child is an average age of thirty two. Feeding him at this point is harmful to development of self sustaining functions." Eric scoffed as he chewed a potato. Chuckling before swallowing the vegetable.

"You were the one that demanded we eat with him, Alice," Eric pointed out to the computer. "Besides, I don't trust him with a knife just yet." Eric cut a piece of his deer steak off, missing the taste of real beef now. "So how's the food, kid?" He asked the boy, receiving a smile.

"It's good," He said, swallowing. "My compliments to the chef." Eric pointed to the ceiling, Alice giving a flourish in her hologram projection. "I'm sorry, forgive me Alice. More potatoes please." The AI nodded, giving him more vegetables at his request. Dash had been smiling the whole time, having forgone the meat for a serving of cooked fruit.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Eric asked as she ate her meal. Dash just shook her head and laughed to herself. Eric gave her a sideways glance, pushing his empty plate away. He picked up his knife and worked the blade into his teeth, removing a meat fiber that had been bugging him. "Really," he said, biting on the blade and bending it slightly. "What's on your mind?" She ate the last of her food, pushing the plate back.

"This," she said. Eric raised a hand in confusion, waiting for an explanation. Dash sighed and set her hooves on the table. "This is the first normal thing that has happened to us since the zombies showed up, albeit a little stranger than I would like." She looked up at the boy who had finished his meal also, now drinking from a straw that was about three feet long. "You and I, eating dinner with our child. Even if we didn't know he existed." The boy nodded, continuing his drink. "And shouldn't be as old as he is. But still, as normal as it has been for nearly four months." She gave a nervous laugh, smiling at the table again.

Eric sat back in his chair, looking at the boy in the restraints. 'He isn't some boy,' Eric thought to himself. They sat in silence for a full five minutes before Eric spoke up. "Well," he said, standing up. "It's safe to say that he isn't so dangerous that he can't wander around the house at will." Eric motioned to the projection of Alice, permitting her to take down the restraints. She started with the legs, removing them and letting Eric hold the child as she released him in full. Eric set him down and let him wander through the room. "But all of the weapons are off limits!" He called after him, getting a thumbs up.

"He needs a name," Dash said when he was out of earshot. Eric nodded, thinking still. "Do you have any ideas?" She asked, getting a shrug. "Care to share them?" Eric shook his head, shrugging again. "Well, I was thinking about naming him after my father." She said, getting a look from Eric. "Eastern Tempest. He was a famous racing Pegasus in Cloudsdale." Eric nodded, thinking of another name to add to it.

"My aunt keeps coming to mind," he said watching the boy observe the sword rack. "Look but don't touch!" He called out. "Alexis Jolene Harris. She was kind of the same way he is. A little out there but still very much on target." Eric watched the kid as he looked up at the black suit of armor. Alice pulled the skull helmet from the wall, letting him see it. He put it on immediately, taking an imposing stance to the hologram. Eric and Dash laughed quietly. "Maybe you're right, Dashie," Eric said. "Maybe he can be saved."

The doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of Keith and Twilight. Alice turned around to face them, Eric shaking his head and walking up the stairs. He walked through the house, the puppy running under his feet. "Calm down," he said as the animal hid behind him. "It's just the doorbell." The puppy yipped and hid behind a chair. Eric opened the door, smiling at the ponies. "Welcome to my humble abode," He said, letting them in. "Can I get you two anything?" Keith walked in and observed the house with his ability, doing his job.

"Some drinks would be nice," Twilight said. "Non-alcoholic if you would." Eric nodded and walked into the kitchen, returning a moment later with two glasses of lemonade. "Thank you," she said, taking the glass from him. Eric nodded and gave one to Keith, who set it on a coaster and continued his work. "Honey, please. Take a seat. There is no reason to be working now." Keith let go of the power, nodding after making the observations.

"Do you have other guests?" Keith asked. Eric hesitated. How could he forget about Keith being able to see the kid? "It's faint, but there was something else in here. Are they gone now?" Keith asked, looking back and raising an eyebrow. Eric was about to confess to the kid, when the puppy yipped at Keith. "Ah, there it is." He said, rubbing the puppy behind the ears with a hoof before sitting on the couch with Twilight and drinking his lemonade.

"So," Eric said, sitting back in his chair. "How was the trip?" they shrugged, Twilight mentioning a few teleportations. "And what do you have in mind for the assignment Keith?" Eric asked him directly, wanting this resolved as fast as possible.

"I would like to explore your mind first," Keith said, beginning his explanation. "Anything I find will be strictly confidential and of no consequence." Eric nodded, a little unnerved by having his mind pilfered. "Once the roads and pathways of thought are mapped out, I will try to find, isolate, and banish or extract this being into an object of little importance," Keith reached into a bag on the floor and pulled out a five inch obelisk of quarts. "Something like this. The crystalline structure of gems and stones prove to be the best. But if you want to keep the thing, I would advise something easily destroyed. Something synthetic that could be burned quickly incase thing start getting 'Freaky'." Eric nodded again, letting him continue. "If you decide not to keep it, the captured spirit or whatever it is will be stored away on a prison ship in the northern ocean."

"Wait," Eric interrupted. "A prison ship? I didn't think those existed here, let alone were even needed." Eric shook his head and sighed. "Everything's too peaceful to indicate targets of that much danger being in society." Keith put away the crystal he held, closing the bag. Twilight spoke this time.

"That is why we have them Eric," She said, causing a surprised look to cross his face. "There are beings in Equestria that could be detrimental to our peaceful way if they were to be let loose. Discord is one of them. Me and the other element wielders set him in stone and put him on that ship ourselves, and I set so many magical barriers against anything not harmonious that I doubt he would be able to get back out in my lifetime. Keith set the spirit of Nightmare Moon in a clear diamond, turning it black. It's there too." Eric thought back to the briefing before Three Hoof Pass, remembering what Little Strife said.

"How many ships are there?" Eric asked. "A prison ship is always for the most dangerous convicts, but which one has the greatest level of security?" Keith tapped his chin with a hoof, thinking.

"I would say the northern one," he said. "It sits in a frozen sea about a hundred miles from both the shore and the pole. Everything around it is desolate, barren waste, even the land is nothing but ice and snow. There are no plants or animals, so that takes out food for an escapee. But nothing has ever escaped, yet." Keith tapped his hoof on the wooden table, turning away a jinx out of superstition. "The next one would be the eastern ship. It's so far from shore that you have to take a boat to reach it." Eric was about to say something but Keith was already on the subject. "Yes, you and Dash could reach it with your suits, I know. But I am not allowing you contact with this thing once it's contained. It could rebound and be twice as dangerous."

Eric nodded, waving Dash over as she came up the stairs. "Hey Twi," She said, giving her friend a hug. "So what's going on?" Eric explained the situation quickly. Dash nodded when it was finished. "I've been to one of those ships before." She said, getting a surprised look from the group. "Not to stay, to visit my uncle. He's in the west ship for seventeen counts of murder and mutilation, each." Eric nodded and motioned for dash to join him in the bedroom.

"I need you to put our child in the secondary spare bedroom," He said. "Keith is going to try this in the basement, and I don't want him telling the princess about him yet." Dash nodded, heading towards the basement while Eric went into the kitchen for a drink. "Alice, fix me a small Black Russian please." The speakers chirped as the AI set on the coffee. "Either of you care for something a little stronger?" He asked over the open bar. Twilight shook her head, as did Keith.

Eric and Keith sat in the basement, setting up the area for what they had planned. Keith lit incense to add a calmer air to the room, laying the quarts obelisk between them. "Now I need you to calm down and close your eyes," Keith instructed. "The more memories you add to your mind, the longer it will take." Eric nodded and did as he was told, closing his eyes and relaxing. Keith began, drawing on his ability and delving into the recesses of Eric's mind. He moved through his mind as a thought would, mapping all of the pathways he could find. Then he began to single out the memories that dealt with the other personality, finding himself disturbed with the sheer hatred for life the being had. Once that was finished, he began to isolate the energies that were dormant in Eric's subconscious.

As he did, the being awoke and fought back. Keith was surprised at hoe strong it was, finding himself struggling to keep it in the area he designated. The madness fought back still, pushing the barrier Keith had set up to it's limit. Keith poured more energy into the blockade, forcing the alter-mind back. He placed a hoof on the obelisk and a hoof on Eric's brow, using his own body as a passage. Keith cringed As the contained entity passed through his own mind, finding it trying to grasp onto him and take hold. The madness passed through completely, changing the glow in Keith's vision of the stone from gray to red.

Keith removed his hoof, falling back and panting on the floor as Eric suddenly became dizzy. "Woah," he exclaimed, catching himself before falling back. Eric looked at the stone, now emitting a red light. "Is that…" he asked, getting a nod from the exhausted pony. Eric watched it, finding himself drawn towards it. He leaned in, looking at it wit ha curious fascination. "It's strangely pretty for such an evil thing…" he said, reaching out toward it. The stone was surrounded in a dark red glow as Keith lifted it away with magic, placing it in a lead container.

"If you touch it," he said between pants. "It will take control permanently and you will be fucked up beyond all recognition," Keith smirked, finding Eric confused. "FUBAR, son. FUBAR." He said to Eric, trying to sound like his old DI back on Paris Island. Eric and him laughed together, trying to take the feel of darkness out of the room. "I have to say, that was close to having Nightmare Moon move through me," Keith said. "except it didn't try as hard to take hold as she did."

Eric stood up and helped the pony to his hooves, climbing the stairs afterwards. Night had fallen, and Eric left Keith to go to bed. "So how did it go?" Dash asked, sitting up in bed reading the same book from yesterday and petting the puppy. "What did it look like?" Eric shrugged and stripped out of his shirt, tossing it in the hamper.

"Red," he said, laying down beside her. "All that's left to do is take it to the prison ship and drop it off." Dash nodded, turning out the light and setting her book aside. "I just hope it all goes well," Eric said, closing his eyes as Dash rested her head on his chest.

"Alright boys, look alive! We got inbound." Five humans began shouting orders to the royal guards stationed on the Northstar, milling around and taking their orders from an American with a wood and steel 1903 Springfield rifle in his hands. "Load the cannons and dunk the javelins in tar! I want every weapon ready to fire on a moment's notice!" the soldier said. He wore a white and gray US Army winter ACU uniform. His helmet was hanging loose on his head and his tactical vest was open. "hey Limey," he called across the deck to another human. "How far out are they?" The human gave him a count on his hand, lowering a finger until the class of metal on metal rang through the ship.

"**Sergeant Sid, Front and center!**" The black and red robot ordered. The American soldier ran up to the robot, snapping to attention and saluting. "**At ease soldier,**" the robot said. "**There is a chariot coming in with a prisoner, I want this deck clear and an empty path to the hold furthest from you statue.**" Parker nodded, turning around and issuing the orders to clear off. He turned around to see the robot facing away from him, gripping its head with both hands. The robot lifted the head off, revealing a human inside.

"Hold it!" Parker said, drawing his colt 1911 pistol and pointing it at the human's head. "What the fuck are you doing here, ya Kraut bastard?" he demanded, refusing to lower his weapon. "Did Hitler win? Is the world controlled by Fascists now? Answer me you Jerry fucker!" He stepped forward and pressed the weapon against the human's head.

Eric sighed and turned quicker than the soldier could react to. He slapped the pistol from his hand, the gun firing before it left his hand. Eric tore the 1903 rifle from its shoulder strap, dropping it a hundred feet behind him. "The hell do you think you're doing, Sergeant?" Eric yelled at him, pushing him back out of his face. "You assault and threaten a superior officer! I should have you court marshaled for such disobedience!" Eric shoved him, knocking him to the floor. Parker looked up, stunned that this man had such abilities. The man stood over him, his angry expression melting away into a smile and a helping hand. "No, the nazi's didn't win." Eric said, pulling him to his feet. "Eric Johnson. Call-sign Firebird." He shook Parker's hand, walking towards the center of the mile long ship. "One hell of an op you pulled," he said, running a gloved hand over a cannon after picking up his helmet. "Kinda cold, isn't it?"

"Yes sir," he said. "It's rather important, considering what's in the hold. What you see here is the height of weapon technology, at least by pony standards." Eric looked back at him tossing the man his helmet. "I mean, other than yours sir." Eric gave a hand sign to put it on. Parker took off his steel helmet, sliding the one Eric had thrown him on. The interior lit up and confirmed his ID before showing him a video.

Eric continued his tour of the boat deck, noting its massive length. He had thought the instruments had been thrown off by the polar fluctuations, but it was indeed nearly a mile long. Now the remainder of the measurements fit. It was three hundred feet above the water and almost four times as wide at the rails. The weapons were also built to proportion, the cannon he stood next to being almost fifty feet long and firing what seemed to be boulders three feet wide. There were also Balista, each about ten feet across and firing twenty foot logs with iron tips. There was a reserve of C-4 explosive beside each one. 'explosive trees,' Eric thought with a chuckle. There were some of the logs coated in what smelled like unlit napalm, possibly to be launched and lit from on the fly.

Parker walked up to him, handing him the helmet back and saluting. "Sir, my apologies for earlier insubordination." Eric waved his hand after setting the helmet on his head and activating the compression.

"At ease, already," he said, exasperated. "I understand you got stuck in world war two when you were brought here, that's why I had you watch that video. It unlocked you and set you in the proper time phase." Eric turned to him and pulled his arm down from his brow. "I'm pulling rank," Eric informed. "I'm in charge right now, but you don't have to keep calling me sir." Parker nodded, relaxing slightly.

Eric and Keith walked down the corridor, Keith in front of him so Eric wouldn't touch the crystal. "How much further is it?" Keith asked the woman in front. She pointed down the hall, indicating the door at the end.

"Right there," She said, stepping aside so Keith could continue on his own. "So, the famous Firebird of the Hunters graces the Northstar with his presence." She said as Eric stopped beside her. "And why would the leader of Three Hoof Pass be here among the crazy and murderers?" Eric shrugged and looked at her, leaning against the wall of the hall.

"Just making sure it's running smoothly," Eric informed. "As smooth as an ice locked boat can. I heard you came here with Mat," Eric said. "Am I right Vivian?" The woman nodded, adjusting the Japanese sword at her waist. "How did you end up with him? I thought he was clearing Russia."

"He did, and moved on to Mongolia and China," Vivian explained. "I was a refugee from Japan, Kyoto to be exact. I joined the East Asia Coalition to fight off the monsters, but Mat kind of picked me up and tossed me into a dimensional rift one day." Eric smirked and chuckled at the joke. "Oh I wasn't happy. I got here and was dumped in the middle of Canterlot Castle, and the throne room no less. I sat in that damn dungeon for a week before they let me go." Keith closed the door to the cell, walking back towards them.

"All done," he said as he stopped between them. "I'm scheduled back at Canterlot for a concert with Illusions of Tomorrow. Miss Martyre, if you would lead me back to the deck I shall be on my way." Vivian nodded and led them out. as they reached the deck, Keith boarded the chariot, sitting down next to the space heater onboard and closing the door. They took to the air, leaving Eric to explore the remainder of the ship and check on things.

"Alright," he said, turning to Vivian again. "Shall we go to the bridge? I need to make sure the operation is going as ordered." Vivian nodded and showed him to a tower in the center of the ship, a long enclosed platform on top housing the piloting crew.

"There is a door up top," she said. "But it has stairs and the elevator is much faster- Oh sweet heavens!" she shouted as Eric wrapped an arm around her waist and launched up to the top of the stairs. He set her down on the platform, letting her regain her bearings. She looked at him and shook her head. "Don't ever do that again." Eric just chuckled and opened the door.

Inside the bridge was a mass of monitors and computer stations, ponies manning each one except for a man with brown hair and sallow skin. Eric walked up to him and looked over his shoulder at the monitor he was watching. It showed a room with a black crystal on a pedestal, a similar room with the red crystal Keith had put in it, and another room, this one with the stone figure of Discord. "Name," Eric said, causing the man to start and the screen to fuss for a moment.

"Sir, Captain Checkov," the man said in a heavy Russian accent. "I am tasked with monitoring Nightmare Moon, Discord and by order of the princess, the crystal you brought here today, sir." The graying man saluted Eric before motioning to the captain's seat. "I also pilot this beast," he said. "You wouldn't believe what it takes to move this behemoth around the pole, sir. If I didn't know better, I would say it used…"

"Fusion, I know," Eric interrupted. He pointed to the back of his armor. "I'm using it right now. It lets me move at an astounding speed in flight." Eric noticed a screen go blank for a moment before flashing back on. He walked past Checkov, leaning over to a pony. "What was that, sailor?" he asked the blue unicorn.

"Magnetic fluctuation sir," he replied, tapping the screen before it came back on. "It comes and goes at regular intervals, but we doubt the prisoners know." The pony zoomed in on the sleeping prisoner, a pony with seven numbers on its back. "The only things they know anymore are that we are leagues from nowhere and escape is a death sentence." Eric looked at the unicorn. "We retract the weapons on deck and let them get some sunlight and fresh air once a week. And today is it," he said, typing in a few commands on his computer. The weapons lowered into the steel, being covered by retracting plates as thick as Eric's torso. There was a loud buzzing alarm that signaled the prisoners time out as the doors to the cells opened. Guard ponies moved back into private rooms, closing the doors so they were out of harms way.

The prisoners climbed onto the deck through trapdoors, filling out and going about their regular activities they had planned. Over the course of a few minutes, a scuffle broke out between two of the inmates, but quickly dissolved as the remaining inmates policed their own. Several stood in groups, listening to a single pony in the middle talk from a book. The ponies seemed to be worshiping with the speaker, bowing and kneeling as the leader did. In another area, they were lined up in squares of four by four rows, exercising on the deck under the supervision of a large, muscular inmate with his sleeves rolled up. In other areas, there seemed to be organized fighting going on for some form of prison currency. "I think I'm going to go down there," Eric said, Checkov letting him pass without objection.

"I would advise raising your head cover, sir," The Russian said before he walked out. "They can get excited and like to fight for fun. Sometimes the guards get in on it for whatever is offered, even refusing to enforce authority when they lose." Eric nodded, his helmet sliding over his head with a slicing sound. Eric closed the door and looked down over the railing. The stairs had been raised and a thirty foot tall fence had been erected so the inmates couldn't storm the bridge.

"**Make a hole!**" Eric called over, waiting for the ponies to separate far enough for him to land. Eric jumped over the rail, falling free to the deck below. the impact shook the floor and caused a few of the prisoners to widen their stance for balance. They looked at him, some whispering to their buddies. Eric walked forward, the inmates separating so he could pass and giving him a wide berth. 'not a good sign,' he thought as they continued to part. Eric made his way to one of the fighting rings, watching the goings on.

It was a street fighting style event, prisoners offering up saved rations and meal treats as betting pieces. Some put up cigarettes and others offered their alcohol rations for the pot. The ponies in the center, bounced around like boxers before colliding with a smack. They grappled, kicked, bucked and bit for holds to subdue the opponent before another pony stepped in and broke them up, sending them to opposite sides of the circle. The process continued as Eric walked away towards the circles of bowing ponies.

They were indeed worshiping, praying to the gods mentioned in the Scriptures. Some prayed for release from prison, while others prayed for forgiveness of their sins. Still more prayed for things and reasons, one that touched Eric was a prisoner who prayed for the safety of his family and forgiveness so he could join them in the afterlife. Eric walked away from the circles towards the grid of ranked prisoners.

Several muscular ponies and Pegasi walked by them, ordering them to work harder. The ponies did pushups, headstands, and practiced hoof to hoof combat for the fight rings. Nearly anything you could do at a gym was here. A Pegasus pony stopped next to Eric, tapping him on the leg with a hoof. Eric raised his faceplate and looked at the pony in a deadpan expression. "Yeah?"

The Pegasus shrugged, his wings moving oddly at his sides. Eric noticed they had been cut in half at the folding joint so he couldn't escape, obviously a lifer with no chance for parole. "Ah'm jus wonderin," the pony said in a southern accent. "The hell're y'all doin on the Northstar? Ain't y'all that Firebird feller?" Eric looked up around the deck, noticing how loud the Pegasus' voice had been when he mentioned his name. All of the exercising ponies were looking at him with blank expressions. The ponies all turned to look at him as far away as the front of the bridge, staring at Eric as if he was a prize.

Eric lowered the faceplate with a clank of metal, looking back at the grounded Pegasus. "**What of it?**" Eric asked the pony, the barrels set in his gauntlets revealing themselves as they loaded to fire. "**I don't take to kindly to being called out. So if you don't have a reason to want to die today, you best just drop it.**" Eric turned around and made his way through the prisoners, the ponies again parting as he walked by.

"Oh no," Chekov said as the ponies began turning towards Eric. "Some idiot mentioned a name." He picked up the microphone to the guard radios, pushing the button. "This is the captain, I need all guards not stationed around the full time stations to move to the fence immediately. We may have an event soon." He put the receiver back on its clip, looking over at Vivian before returning his vision to Eric. "This could be bad."

Eric walked toward the gate, the ponies still separating so he could walk unhindered. "Ah called y'all out ta thank ya," the Pegasus said. "And ta give ya mah blessin ta marry mah niece since her daddy's dead 'n all." Eric stopped and chewed on his cheek for a moment. He turned around and walked back to the Pegasus, the gun barrels receding back into the gauntlets as he flexed his fingers a few times. Dash had told him about her uncle, a country bumpkin that killed his own family, mutilated his sister's daughter, and went on a spree in broad daylight before being took down by a guard with a sword. "She deserves a strong stallion ta show 'er how a mare should act." The clipped pegasus kept saying, bantering to the rest of the ponies. One stepped in front of Eric and shook his head to him, getting moved aside. Eric stood in front of the pony that was talking about Dash. "She could use a good beatin ta show her who's in ch…" Eric stopped him with a full force punch, sending his head over the rail.

Chekov and Vivian cringed as they heard the crack of the pegasus' neck through the two inch thick glass. "Ow," Chekov

Eric picked up the body and threw it over the rail after his head. "**I'm feeling rather murderous right now,**" he said over the speakers before taking off his armor. "Who wants to take me?" he asked with a smirk, cracking his knuckles. "Your all lifers, and I doubt the princess would mind if I finished off a few murderers and perverts. So come on, line up single file. Or all of you can take me at once. Doesn't matter to me." He said, pulling two daggers off of the suit. The ponies backed away, except for a few other pegasi and two earth-ponies with dreads.

"Get him out of there," Chekov ordered, " Those two will kill him for that." Vivian nodded and ran to the elevator. "Where the hell are those guards?" he asked a pony at the computers. They all gave him blank screens and rapid attempts to recover the system. "What's going on? Give me answers!" he ordered.

"All of our systems are down," a unicorn said. "Massive fluctuations are coming from the containment rooms, they started when Firebird got called out." Chekov felt what color he had drain from his face. If that meant what he thought, they were doomed.

The ponies around Eric were in a near riot, cheering and jeering at the current fighters. One of the earth-ponies lay on the deck, bleeding from a busted muzzle and holding his gut as he recovered from the vicious kick Eric had delivered. The pegasi turned out to be friends of the family, now deceased. Eric had sunk the knives into their chests, snapping the third around the neck. he was throwing punches at the remaining pony, landing hits where he could as the pony bounced around on his hind legs. "You fight well, mon," the pony said, apparently from the fruit plantations in the south sea area. The pony delivered several forehoof strikes to Eric's chest, sending him stumbling back and laughing in violent joy. "Gonna be a pity," the pony said through his thick musical accent. "When I break your face!" the pony charged at Eric, jumping on his shoulders and kicking him to the deck.

Eric rolled over and got up as the pony got off of him, feeling his nose having broken at the bone. "Damn!" Eric exclaimed, shaking his head and slinging blood across the deck. "That was the first hit that hurt. If we keep that up, I might be in mild pain." The pony gave him a cold look, not turned away by Eric's banter. Eric spat blood out of his mouth. Eric ran forward and threw a false punch, sweeping the ponies legs out from under him as he dodged back in his former stance. The pony hit the floor and was covered by Eric a moment later. Eric drove his fists into the ponies head, feeling the skin break away and bone strike his knuckles before stopped. Eric got up and stood over the pony, taking off his shirt and throwing the ruined black cloth away. "Fucking idiot!" Eric yelled as he kicked the pony in the ribs. He felt the bone give way to his boot, hearing a satisfying crack. He pulled back for another kick as a shotgun went off, causing all of the ponies to back away.

"Alright you lazy lot!" A British accent said, the shotgun cocking. "that's enough beatin each other off for one day." The human walked into the circle, four unicorns behind him moving to take the wounded ponies off for medical care. He had the beret and woodland camouflage uniform of the British SAS, in his hand a Spas-15 assault shotgun. "Sir, I think you should get in your suit and fly off to your bonnie lass," he said in a now distinguishable Scottish accent. It was light, but definitely there. "Ah bet she'd be delighted to here that ya killed her uncle. Ah know I would if mine was that messed up." he smiled at him and began herding the prisoners below deck.

Eric picked up his shirt, wiping the blood from his nose before placing a thin rod in a nostril and setting the bone where it should be. The fracture screamed in protest but fell in line, causing the bleeding to stop. He got into his armor as the unicorns levitated the dead pegasi off the deck and took them underneath to the crematorium on board. "That was a damn good fight you gave those two," the human said as Eric scaled back the helmet. "They've been lookin for a good brawl since they got here." Eric wiped his face with a gauntlet, looking at the fresh blood. The soldier held out a hand for a shake. "Names Weatherson, nice to meet you Eric." Eric shook his hand and followed him under the desk.

"These prisoners tend to keep peace on their own," Weatherson said as he led Eric through the cell blocks. "Knowin' ya got the cod of chaos aboard and that he can be set loose with the right amount of disharmony tends ta' do that to 'em ah think." Eric and Brandon walked through a bulkhead, entering the center room of the ship. There were two sections to the room, walled off by a large pane of glass. In the left one was the stone figure of Discord, the right holding the black diamond with the spirit of Nightmare moon. "This is the treasure room, aye?" Brandon said. "It's got the most dangerous creatures in the world, and one of the most alluring gems ah've ever laid me eyes on."

The thought was a daunting one. Being in the same room with the two beings sent a surge of fear through Eric's body. "**I heard you lost your systems recently**," Eric said. "**If you haven't regained them by now, I want triple security. Understood?**" Brandon nodded, readjusting his grip on the shotgun as they exited. They walked through the cell blocks, a few of the prisoners tapping Eric on the shoulder. He seemed to have gained their respect for either killing Dusty Wind or holding out against the two earth ponies. "**How well do the ponies keep the peace?**" Eric asked.

"Enough that my guards don't have ta break up any arguments," Weatherson said. he waved to a prisoner across the room. "They aren't that bad when they got nothing to do," Brandon explained. "There are times ah wonder if they are dangerous at all." Eric reached the door, turning the handle before the lights went out. a red emergency light came on as the general quarters alarm went off. The prisoners went crazy, screaming through the bars.

"Firebird!" one screamed at Eric from his left. "You have to help us! Discords loose!" the pony reached a hoof through the bars, trying to grab Eric. "Please! We might me prisoners, but we aren't animals! Help us!" There was a crash at the opposite bulk head, followed by another. The two inch thick steel of the door bowed from the middle, a tear forming as another crash was heard. A large golden eye shown in the tear, staring straight at Eric.

"Oh my," a dark voice said, the eye being replaced by one much smaller. "I think it's another human. I suppose this one will do, considering the one I want is not here any longer." Eric grabbed Brandon by the arm, blasting the door open with a small plasma charge. Eric pulled him through throwing him down the hall and ordering him to the bridge. "Discord, if you so kindly would open this door." The voice said, replaced with an echoing chuckle.

"Why of course, Lady Moon." Discords resonating voice said before the door was knocked in, sliding across the floor and into a wall. The Draconiquis slipped through the bulkhead, rising to the ceiling of the triple layer cell block. A black Alicorn walked through the bulkhead, staring at Eric. "I think this one would be difficult, Nightmare." Discord said. "Considering he did just melt that door with his hand." Eric raised his gauntlets, firing his small caliber rounds and causing the two to shield themselves long enough to slip away. "Inmates, I offer you a reward. Take this ship, and your freedom is guaranteed." The doors fell off their hinges, the prisoners walking out under Discords control.

Eric ran up the corridors, finding the elevator at the top of its shaft. Eric fried the control panel, rocketing up towards the bridge from below. He fired at each level's controls, making sure the prisoners would not reach the bridge. Eric slammed into the bottom of the elevator, flying through and running into the top. "What the hell is going on?" Chekov demanded when Eric stopped in front of him. "Why do I not have any control over my ship?"

**"Later,**" Eric said. "**You have to hold out here. Don't let anything short of a human up here. You have to make sure the prisoners do not make it up here. Order all of your guards to defend the chamber with the red crystal in it. Two powerful beings are enough for now.**" Eric ran to the door, opening it and rocketing out of the bridge to the south.

**So how do you think this is going to go? **

**As always, Read and Review. I need your input.**

**Vivian Martyre, Leoj Clocktum, Brandon Weatherson, Chekov, Little Strife and Parker Sid property of Timefather64**

**Mat and Sapphire property of Bahamut Crisis Core.**


	15. Chapter 15

**MLP:FIM is property of Hasbro and Lauren Faust. Not AedanRyche. Because I'm poor :P**

"You're sure it's Discord?" Mat asked as he helped Leoj into a suit of armor he had made. Eric nodded, helping Sapphire with her new arm. It was designed to work with the suit mat had made for her. the blade and claws worked, but it was altered to add the effect of in flight stabilization. The socket sunk into the joint, the nerves connecting and causing her to grunt in pain. "What did he look like?"

"Alice," Eric said in the basement of his house. "Render an image of Discord at around fifty feet tall in a thirty foot tall room." The hologram projected was perfect, even the stance he had taken. "Add a render of Nightmare Moon by his left foot and halfway through the bulk head to their containment room." The hologram fuzzed, becoming clear again with the image of the black Alicorn. "It looked like that before I pulled Weatherson out of the room and fired on them." Eric said, inputting the code to set the reactor alive.

"Have I ever said you are a magnet for trouble?" Sapphire asked as he set the access panel to be opened only by her. Eric shook his head as he helped Dash with a revamped suit wing. "Well, you are." Sapphire said with a hint of amusement before she attached the new leg. "Ow… Any time we aren't with you, bad shit flocks around you two like flies on a cow pie." Eric chuckled and shook his head as he began re wiring the connector to Dash's suit.

"Ow!" Dash exclaimed as a spark landed on her skin. "Could you be a little more careful?" she said rhetorically. Eric apologized and attached the wires, clasping the wing on and letting her test it. she flapped the limb a few times, knowing she didn't need to fly in the suit, but maneuverability was key in close quarters. "Alright, I'm off to gather the Night Hawks." She said before jetting out the tunnel, the flames from her thrusters glowing on the dark walls.

Eric stood on the platform, Letting the computer outfit him with weapons. It attached several daggers and knives, a tomahawk with a breaching point, two assault-rifles with collapsible stocks and around twenty grenades of varying designs. "We need the Elements," Eric said to Keith over his shoulder as the boom arms attached a shoulder mounted rocket pod. "Make it happen. Discord is apparently a god and I don't want to risk dying like I did with the last one." The red pony nodded and ran upstairs.

Eric took the moment to observe the armor suits that the Hunters wore. Sapphire's was deep blue, nearly black with iridescent and realistic lightning through it. Leoj's suit was all white, as expected, but this time it lacked the clockwork motif he favored so much. His rapier rested at his hip along with a twin on the other one. He had two Webley .357 revolvers on his upper thighs and a rack of grenades he refused to tell the details of. Mat's suit was very custom, his gauntlets were fingerless, the helmet had a visor that changed color and it let his hair hang out the back, which had became lower back length. It was a deep crimson.

They all had helmets, but all but Eric's, Dash's and Mat's were featureless. Dash had asked Eric to make her one in the old Greek Spartan commander style, which he did, replacing the frill with sharpened spikes. Leoj had just taken his and painted his cog and lock symbol on the front before the optics were installed by Mat and Sapphire was fine with a blank blue one. "Are we all ready?" Eric asked as the boom arms receded, having bolted a pair of blades to his right shoulder, both fitting snugly into the metal scabbard. Everyone gave him a thumbs up, Eric signaling them to move out.

They all landed on the run, sprinting into the castle and toward Celestia's throne. The guards flashed indecision through their faces before letting them pass, barely having the time to open the mahogany doors. The quartet of knights slowed as they entered the throne room, compressing their helmets or taking them off. "Permission to go kick some evil ass, Celestia," Eric asked. Getting a startled look from her. "Nightmare Moon and Discord have broke loose of their bonds on the Northstar," he explained, getting an even further confused look. "Just say yes so we can save some lives, your majesty." She nodded, numbly, still lost as to what he was talking about. Three unicorns moved the stained glass window away from the frame, allowing the four to rocket out of it and bank left, heading north to the frozen wastes.

Eric and Dash flew at mach six the entire way there, followed by Mat, Sapphire, and Leoj. They had met at Canterlot castle, forgoing the teleportation grid for the suits Mat had put out for the Hunters. They were over the frozen wastes beyond Northpony, the ship ahead in the water. "Here's the plan," Eric said over the radio to the squad. "Talon breaks a hole in the hull and takes Blue into the works. Take down the engines so they can't go anywhere." He got affirmatives. "Hawk, when the rest of the elements get here with Magician I want you to keep them safe until we clear and contain Discord. Send him in as soon as he arrives to fight back Nightmare." Dash nodded beside him, checking their position in relation to the chariot that had fallen behind. "Clockwork and I will clear the bridge and deck. We work our way to the hold and find the guards, then we can look for Discord." Leoj confirmed with Eric's choice.

Upon arrival, they found ponies blanketed the deck, opening fire with the onboard weapons. Cannonballs and flaming javelins zoomed by them, nearly missing them at every turn. "Break, now!" Eric ordered. Mat and Sapphire banked low, coming up slightly above the ice. Mat slammed into the side, grabbing a plate of steel with his hands and pulling it away. He continued to tear into the hull until a hole was present, which Sapphire rocketed into, firing bullets from her gauntlets into the hallway. Dash had already looped back and taken position around the Pegasus drawn chariot.

"They think these weapons can take us down?" Eric said over the radio, rolling right to avoid a javelin. "I laugh at their ef-FUCK!" Eric took a cannonball to the chest, getting knocked out of the sky. The ball exploded, throwing him through the five foot thick ice and into the water. Leoj looked down, halting in the sky as the prisoners onboard stopped their barrage to cheer and pat a pony on the back that had made the shot. The skip lurched to the side, causing Leoj to cross his arms and smirk. Eric burst through the deck under the prisoner that had shot him down, throwing five others aside as the deck was rent under them.

"**That was a good shot,**" Eric said over the speakers, causing his helmet to scale back. "But this is much more fun!" he yelled, as he pulled the pony by his forelegs. The Prisoner ripped in half, his body falling a hundred feet to the deck below. The prisoners looked up at him, horror on their faces. Eric smiled at them and closed his helmet. "**Who's next?**" He said over the speakers, amplifying his voice as he signaled the rocket launcher to rise to his shoulder. "**Leoj,**" Eric said, looking at the immortal beside him."**Lets do some gratuitous violence.**"

"**Yes, lets.**" Leoj replied, dropping to the deck and drawing his swords. The white clad man walked through the prisoners, slashing and hacking anything that charged him. "Eric," he said over the radio. "They don't seem to be in their right minds, I'm going to knock them out instead. Check the bridge, I have this." Eric nodded as Leoj looked up, turning back and landing on the platform beside the top door. He tried the handle, finding it locked.

"Dammit," Eric muttered to himself, raising his boot and kicking the handle. The door broke inward, revealing a stunned trio. There was Chekov, the ship captain, Nightmare Moon and one of the island ponies he had brawled with yesterday. "**Hi boys and girls,**" Eric said, jumping into the room and knocking the bandaged pony aside and into a wall, knocking him out. "**Did you miss me, Moony?**" he teased.

The black Alicorn dropped the aging Russian from her hold, turning her focus on Eric. "I shall have some form of vengeance for what that non-pony did to me," she said, slowly walking toward him. Eric stood there until the Alicorn was face to face with him, not moving an inch. "You seem to be sufficient, primate," she said. Eric flicked her on the horn, causing her to recoil and grow enraged.

"**I have to say, Non-Pony would make and excellent rock band name,**" Eric joked, trying to get her to follow his next move. "**And while I am not Keith, I do know where you can find him,**" Eric turned to his left, blasting the window with plasma. "**Race you there,**" he said, rocketing out and waiting for her to take the bait. "Hawk, is Magician in position with that spell?" he asked over the radio, flying away from the ship to the north as Nightmare Moon left the bridge to follow him.

"Not yet," Dash replied over the radio. Eric led the Alicorn around the area, reaching the pole and turning west. "We need about three more minutes," Dash said as Eric began to pack on the speed, playing with the evil spirit. "I'm sending you where you need to be in two minutes now." Dash said, cutting the line. A map came up, pointing toward the area with a yellow arrow.

"**Wow,**" Eric called back. **" You sure can fly fast. But my mare is faster,**" The Alicorn fired a bolt of lightning at Eric, striking him dead on. Eric shook his hands and pushed harder on the suit, breaking the second sound barrier. "**Quit that, it tickles!**" Nightmare Moon snorted in anger, beginning to gain on Eric. The message flashed that he turn towards the area now. "That's my cue!" he exclaimed into his helmet. Eric banked to the left sharply, the Alicorn clipping his foot before being able to right herself. "**Watch the paint job!**" Eric yelled back at her as she began to catch up. They neared the area, the timer clicking away the seconds.

Keith watched the sky, seeing Eric fly over head. "Now!" one of the ponies yelled, Keith channeling the energy to pull the spirit into the gem. The large diamond levitated off the ground, resting in front of his eyes. He timed the attack to perfection, a red beam launching at Nightmare Moon as she entered his line of sight. The beam stopped her in her tracks, pulling her towards the gem. The Alicorn screamed in rage at her capture, fighting to be free. Keith began to sweat from the exertion the spell was placing on him.

"**Sorry I have to cut our play date so short,**" Eric sniped from the air. "**But you see, I have a certain Draconiquis to visit. And you know how stingy those guards are about visiting hours.**" The Alicorn screamed at him, launching bolts of electricity until she was trapped in the gem. Eric shook his head. "**What a sore loser,**" he joked. Eric felt something grasp him around the waist, looking into the face of Discord. "**Oh hell…**" he said before the two disappeared.

Discord threw Eric into the corner of a room as they materialized again. Eric struck the wall with his back, falling to his hands and knees for balance. "What a touching reunion we have here," Discord cooed as Eric noticed the red glow that filled the room. "The hero of Equestria and his long lost friend." The Draconiquis picked up the glowing pillar of quartz, turning it around in his claw and holding it to his ear. "What's that? You say you miss your buddy?" Eric looked up, watching Discord's gaze fall on him. "Isn't that just sweet," he said, ending the sentence with an insane smile. "I must say, Eric. To reject this much power is such a pity you could rule the world with this. Although once it gained control it would light it on fire, but none the less a pity."

Discord grasped Eric's helmet, ripping it from its fittings. The coils of the neck plates hung loose on Eric's neck, a few falling off after they stopped spinning. "You know what I think?" Eric said, getting Discord to raise an eyebrow. "Since I don't want it, why don't you take it?" Discord laughed, shaking his claw at him.

"Oh Nay, nay." He said. "You see, I wouldn't mind having all of that pure rage," Discord turned the crystal over in his paw, poking Eric on the head with a talon. "But it doesn't want me. It want's you," he said, sounding somewhat disappointed. "Now if I can gain an ally out of this, I will gladly give it what it wants," Discord removed his claw, dangling the stone over Eric's head. "And I think that is want I'll do." He finished on an excited tone, dropping the crystal against Eric's head.

Eric leaned up on his knees, looking at the ceiling. He opened his mouth to scream, but all that came out was an audible breath. _Give in,_ the voice of madness said. Eric blacked out, falling into a dream.

Eric watched his mind play, strange visions flowing free. He stood in the center of Canterlot, the roads empty and blackened. The city lay in ashen ruin around him, buildings crumbling inward at the slightest breeze. 'What the hell?' he thought as he began to walk down the burnt road, ash rising as his feet struck the ground. "Hello?" Eric called out as he walked down the street, hoping something would hear him. "Is anypony here? Is anything alive?" Eric saw a large white building ahead, untouched by the fire. There was a large crimson cross on the wall, and ponies milling in and out of the hospital. It was obviously the last bastion in Canterlot.

Eric ran up to a pony, trying to turn it around. His hands and arms passed through the pony without stopping. "Woah…" He mumbled as he regained his footing. The pony looked up and screamed, running back into the hospital. Eric watched the pony go, turning around to find what scared him so badly after. In the sky was Eric's suit of armor, its arms raised as firing plasma and rockets at the building. The projectiles bounced off of a ward, Shining Armor on the other side wincing with each impact. The barrier broke a few minutes later, the suit flying down and tackling Shining Armor to the ground. The helmet scaled back, revealing Eric inside. He had a malicious smile and cold, lifeless eyes as he drove his fist into the pony's chest, pulling out Shining Armor's Heart. The pony screamed, falling silent as Eric crushed the organ in his gauntlet.

Eric looked at the door, firing a rocket at it and blowing a large hole. He walked in, gunfire and sizzling flesh emanating from the building shortly afterward. The flashes in the windows moved up the building to the top floor before ceasing, only to reveal all the survivors having gathered on the roof and backing toward the edge as Eric approached. He smiled at them, holding his arms out in a welcoming gesture. "What's wrong my friends," he said with the voice of the madness. "Do you no longer love your valiant knight? Don't you remember all of the times I protected you from harm? Remember Talon? How I killed him when he tried to harm your daughter?" he pointed to a yellow unicorn. "Or Bolts? She tried to kill you with her robotic arm." He pointed to a pegasus of a brown coat. "And Clockwork," this time he pointed to a pegasus Eric recognized as Soarin. "He tried to take you to a black hole, intent on throwing you in. I had to do it to save you all. They were traitors, just like the fallen princesses." The monster on the roof pointed back to the square.

Eric turned around, finding a gallows and guillotine. In the rope was Luna, her body being eaten from by ravens, and a dog carrying Celestia's head back to its hide. Eric had to fight back his stomach at the murdered monarchs, turning away with rage in his belly. "They would have killed you all if I hadn't stepped in." A unicorn that Eric knew as Little Strife walked up to the monster, driving his hoof into the Eric puppet's face before holding a blade to his neck. the monster fell down, smirking and punching the unicorn over the edge. Strife landed on the fence, impaling on the spikes with his head and chest. "Is that any way to treat your savior?" the monster asked as it rose into the sky, pulling a long spear from his back and sweeping over the first row of ponies, laughing with joy. The ponies were pushed off the edge, meeting Strife and Shining Armor at the bottom.

The monster flew down, pulling a rear leg off of a pony and spitting on its body. "Filthy peasant, I should have cooked you alive with that blasted Rainbow Dash." The madman walked by Eric, looking him in the eyes with murderous delight. "Don't worry," it said to him. "Discord has no idea this will happen. What a grand surprise it will be." The monster's voice sounded like warm honey to Eric's ears, smooth and comforting if a little disconcerting. "And I'm going to relish every moment of his death. Don't you worry about revenge." The madman walked down the street, giggling the whole time as he stopped to cook the haunch of pony flesh on a burning building. "A horse? A Horse for my Kingdom!" the madman joked, lifting the haunch to his lips and biting into it, blood trailing down his neck. "Welcome to your new home my friend. Make your self comfortable, you'll be here a while." The monster laughed. "Can I get you a pony steak while you're waiting?" the insanity laughed, walking away into the smoke.

"Eric!" Dash screamed as her and the elements ran through the halls of the ship, beating down prisoners as they encountered them. "Eric! Where are you!" She yelled, striking a prisoner in the brow with her hooves before running into the detention block. She looked around, raising the barrels in her armor as she searched around the room for movement. "Eric, please be ok…" Dash ran to the door, remembering Keith had told them it was where they had left Eric's crystal. She stopped outside the room, hearing the sound of flesh hitting a fist. "Thank gods," she said before opening the door and looking in.

"did you think you could control me Discord?" Eric screamed, bringing his fist down full force on the lifeless body of the Draconiquis. "Fool. Nothing can control me!" Eric slammed his elbow into Discord's nose, breaking the bones and pushing them back into the skull with the suit's added strength. "It's too bad you couldn't meet the monster you made!" Eric pulled on Discords head until he heard the bones separate and the cord snap. He stood over the dead god, laughing to himself at how easy it had become to kill immortals. He kicked the body, breaking bone with each impact. The door opened behind him, causing him to turn and look. Rainbow Dash stood in the cell block, waving someone over. "Dashie," he exclaimed, running over and hugging her. "Thank god your ok!" Dash hugged him back, lifting a glob of blood off his shoulder.

"whose blood is this?" She asked, letting him go and walking in. In the center of the room was the crystal, still glowing red. Next to it was Discord, unmoving and barely recognizable. "Shit…" She exclaimed, trailing off as she walked over to the dead being. "I guess harmony isn't the only thing that can stop him," she muttered, poking the corpse with a hoof. Twilight and the others ran into the room, gasping at the grizzly sight. Fluttershy fainted, Rarity running out to puke while Applejack, Twilight and Pinky Pie stood there in shock.

"Oh dear…" Twilight muttered before walking back and staring at Eric. He was covered in blood, his black armor now bright red. "H-how did you do it?" she asked, disbelieving he was able to actually kill him. Eric shrugged, smiling at the ponies.

"I got lucky I guess," he said, running a gloved hand through his hair. "Discord tried to put the madness back in me, but didn't count on my resolve being that strong. When he put the crystal on me, I fought back the insanity, breaking free." Eric shook his head, motioning back to the room as Dash came out, trying not to vomit. "I blacked out, battle rage and all. When I came to, Discord was in shambles and Dash was standing in the door way." Eric smiled at them again, looking tired. 'Nice lie,' he thought to himself as the ponies nodded.

"Nothing for it now," Dash said, walking toward the door out. "We have to round up the rest of the prisoners and take the ship. The other's are clearing off the deck and herding them down here now. We have to get out to where it's safe, now." She said, ending the monologue with emphasis. They all nodded, following her out. Eric hung back, falling in behind the rest.

'Not yet,' he thought to himself, scoffing in amusement. 'First you need something convincing…' Eric chuckled to himself, his eyes turning yellow as they climbed the stairs out.

**Oh…noes…**

**Well, that seems bad. The madness in control of the most politically powerful human in Equestria? I bet that will make for a rousing good sequel, don't you?**

**That's right. This is the end of MLZR, and the beginning of something new, yet old. I am writing Prophesy, the prologue to MLZR and the story of Keith Wolfheart and his play in the scriptures. I also have the sequel to this story storyboarded already. But you all have to wait for that :P**

**Credits! Read 'em and weep! **

**Black Dragon, Leoj Clocktum and Little Strife are property of Timefather64.**

**Mat and Sapphire are property of Bahamut Crisis Core.**

**Night Forge and all things to do with the Nightmare Unicorns are property of Najee.**


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